Summer 2009 designed and illustrated by Tony Luongo

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Vol.1, No.1 • Summer 2009

WHAT'S HAPPENING around town this summer

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SUMMER 2009 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1

CONTENTS 5

Time to Play Billerica’s playgrounds promise fun in the sun. • By Liana Measmer

A publication of The Billerica Green, LLC. Editor-In-Chief: Liana Measmer

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10 Break on Through to the Other Side Local historian brings The Doors home to us. • By Liana Measmer

Art Director: Tony Luongo Illustrator: Tony Luongo

16 Grace on Wheels

Contributing Writers: Dr. Gina Aguayo Ronald Bazza Todd D. DellaPorta Dave Gagliardi Jenn Gervais Sandra Giroux

20 Protecting Our Most Precious Resource

TILL Wheelchair ensemble touches lives. • By Liana Measmer

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Water conservation is everyone’s job. • By Liana Measmer Contributing Photographers: Sandra Giroux Gail Lucozzi Jim McFeeley Kim Willmott To place an ad call 978-808-2361 Summer 2009; Vol. 1, No. 1 The Billerica Green, LLC. P.O. Box 492 Billerica, MA 01821 thebillericagreen@yahoo.com www.thebillericagreen.com Subscriptions: One year (12 issues) $15

In every edition: The Sunny Side of the Street Marriage Matters Dave Says Calendar of Events Ask Dr. Gina Out on the Town Notes from General Sound Real Estate News The Playground

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR WELCOME TO THE BILLERICA GREEN NEWS, BILLERICA’S PREMIER MONTHLY NEWSPAPER MAGAZINE! A big hello and welcome! My name is Liana Measmer and I’m the editor of The Billerica Green News. I moved to this town in 1997 and am raising a family here. I came with all sorts of unfounded preconceptions of what I thought Billerica was and I came to realize, as every other soul whose ever moved here, the richness of this town.

In its people, its schools, its government, its events, its services, its businesses.

The vision for this paper came from the mentoring that was bestowed upon me by some of the best editors in the area. I was taught as a journalist, guided as a writer and advised about the newspaper business. Thus, as a result, I realized, even in these economic times, this was something very good for our town. This edition looks exactly like the monthly editions which will launch into every mailbox in Billerica, more than 16,000, free to residents come mid September. Every other edition will come out the middle of each month too.

What you hold in your hands is our “Marketing Edition”, running for the summer. We gathered a talented group of residents with specific talents or knowledge to be our columnists. We asked a number of local photographers to snap the beautiful images you see here. We requested summer programming information from as many organizations as possible. We interviewed some of the top experts in town for our “broad stroke” news features. And we even came up with a few more fresh ideas that we want to surprise you with. We are sure you will love this publication, one that is All Billerica, All the Time, For Billerica,

By Billerica.

I would be remiss if I did not thank my team. The first and most important is my Art Director/Graphic Designer, Tony Luongo. What I am with the pen, Tony is with color and design. He is my right arm.

He designed most of the ads you see here. He laid out the features and the columns and the town happenings. He painted the front cover and handled sizing everything so it flowed. The “fresh new surprising” sections are his creations. This paper would not be a reality in your hands if not for Tony. Thanks, Tony. I could not have done/continue to do this without you and your amazing talent.

I’d like to also thank Gina, Dave, Sandy and Ed, Gail and George, Todd, and Jimmy. Without your contributions this paper would be empty and without color. You did a tremendous job! Thank you MediaNews Printing. The folks who printed this paper were incredibly patient as we pushed off deadlines again and again, always just offering their help. Lastly, thanks to the countless others behind the scenes who were generous with their time, advice, and efforts. It is a pleasure working with people who love this town as much as I do.

If you like what you see (or even if you don’t), let us know at our website www.thebillericagreen.com or email us directly at thebillericagreen@yahoo.com. If you have some ideas you would like to share, email me. I am looking for sports writers, senior writers, kid contributors, restaurant reviewers, home improvement experts and columnists that can write regularly.

Enjoy Billerica! You’re the Best!

From your Editor, Liana Measmer

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THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET

By Dave Gagliardi

THE DEMISE OF THE DAILY It seemed appropriate, given that this is the first issue of The Billerica Green, that the first commentary I would write should be on the possible demise of another publication. The Boston Globe appears to be on the ropes unless someone steps in and buys it from The New York Times. I find it sad to think that a major American city such as Boston should be reduced to having only one daily printed newspaper and that paper should be the National Enquirer of dailies, the Herald. This would truly be an injustice to all of us.

During my lifetime there have been as many as three daily papers: The Globe, The Herald Traveler and The Record American which published on Sundays under the banner of the Sunday Advertiser. I don’t know why they used a separate name on Sundays. I remember my father telling me that there was also a Boston Post at one time. Sometime in the 70’s the Herald and The Record merged to become the Herald American and in time the American was dropped from the banner leaving just the Herald we know today.

They all used to print 4 editions a day, morning, afternoon, evening and final edition. And if something earth shattering happened they would print an extra edition. I remember the day JFK was killed, my father piled my brother and I into his 1959 Rambler and drove to Malden where there was a news stand on an island in the middle of Pleasant St. just off of Main St. to get the extra edition that day. It was strange but you would just drive up to the island and stop in the middle of traffic and a guy would hand you the paper as you handed him a dime. It was an early form of drive-thru.

I know that it is just time marching on and there will eventually be no printed papers in the future but I for one will miss not having a paper to thumb through every day. I have fond memories of going through the different phases of life one takes reading newspapers. The first phase is reading the Sunday funnies (comics). I remember always trying to get them before my brother. We would always fight to be the first to read them but we always had to be careful not to mess up the rest of the paper. My father would get ticked if his paper was messed up. As I grew older, it was the sports section.

Then it became politics and other hard news. I remember my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Edwards, giving us current events homework using the papers. She would pick out a region on her world map and tell us to find a news article about one of the countries of that region. She would ask us to cut it out and bring it in and she would give you extra credit if you supplied a related picture. It was a smart way of getting us to read the news part of the paper as well as getting us to learn world geography.

To advertise in The Billerica Green call Liana Measmer at 978-808-2361 or visit us online thebillericagreen.com

I don’t personally care for reading the news online. I much prefer leafing through the pages of a paper picking and choosing what articles to read and which ones to skip.

But I guess it is all a matter of what you are used to. I am used to papers. The kids of the future will be used to reading news online.

I can’t help but feel sorry for the kids of the future though because they will not know the joys of reading the Sunday funnies. They will never know the joy of sitting on the front step of their house on a summer afternoon with their friends, paper in hand, talking about what writers like Cliff Keane or Larry Claflin or Larry Whiteside had to say about last nights pitching performance by whichever ace was on the mound. They will not know the joys of saving papers from significant days in their young lives. I remember asking all my relatives to save their papers for me the day the Sox won the pennant in '67. I still have them as well as the papers from 1970 and 1972 when the Bruins won the cup. Somehow I don’t think that saving a print out from an online paper will be the same.

I also find it sad that more than likely that all of the news people will get in the future will be television news or as I like to call it, newsertainment. That’s all it really is. Not a lot of substance but plenty of flash to keep our low attention spans focused so we won’t change the channel to something more useful like American Idol. Maybe the real reason for the demise of the daily papers is that none of us wants to take the time necessary to sit down and read a paper. It’s easier to look at a few snippets online at work or have the television on a news channel while we are doing something else. Or maybe the events of the world just don’t concern us as much as what’s going on in our own little world. It would certainly explain low voter turnout or the fact that most people couldn’t tell you when voting day is.

I hope that someone will rescue the Globe and find a way to continue publishing as a daily paper. We need more than one daily.

As for the Billerica Green, I am glad to be a small part of the beginning of this new publication and I wish Liana Measmer the best of luck as she begins this new venture.

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STEVEN LUCOZZI

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Time to



By Liana Measmer

Photographs by Gail Lucozzi

W

ith the approach of summer, everyone’s mind goes to thoughts of relaxation and fun. Moving at a slower pace. Playing in the sun for countless hours. So often parents are looking for fun things to do with their children since the structure of school isn’t there. So often they find it in their local playgrounds.

Playgrounds are an integral part of the neighborhoods they are situated in. They are places to meet friends and get some exercise, as well as encourage both physical and social development for children.

Our five playgrounds are some of the best resources for around fun. Vietnam Veteran’s Park. Micozzi Beach. Lampson. Kids Konnection. Kohlrausch.

As we head out to play, let’s take a tour guide with us to show us around these five recreational spots.

Sandra Libby, Billerica’s Playground Coordinator and Certified Playground Safety Inspector, ensures the playgrounds are kept safe, current and clean. She takes playgrounds very seriously so we can all play safe and play smart.

THE PLAYGROUND AT VIETNAM VETERAN’S PARK Located in West Billerica on Treble Cove Road, this 200-acre park offers a remote control airplane flight area, soccer fields, a BMX track, 7 miles of walking trails through the woods, and plenty of nature observation.

The actual playground sits far down the path, close to the soccer fields. This is where siblings of soccer players can often be found playing while their brothers or sisters are scoring some goals. To improve safety and comfort, Libby has had benches and picnic tables installed and has added larger platform equipment for safety.

She also added an activity panel to give children another play option to choose from.

THE PLAYGROUND AT MICOZZI BEACH Found at Nuttings Lake on the Middlesex Turnpike, Micozzi is open seven days a week year round. Not many people know this for although the beach may be closed, the gates along the side of the playground are left unlocked. Improvements that were made at Micozzi include the posting of “rules” signs as well as a crosswalk on Middlesex Turnpike. The highway department assisted with painting this.

The beach will open on June 14th and remain open through August. The facilities include a bathhouse, sand volleyball court, basketball hoop, handicap fishing pier and picnic tables. There is a daily parking rate at the beach or a season pass for the summer can be purchased. Special events are offered throughout the summer. Rental rates include fishing rods for $1.00/ hour; canoe rentals for $5.00/hour; and volleyball court reservations for $10/ hour. The beach is open daily from 10 AM to 7 PM with lifeguards on duty.

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THE PLAYGROUND AT LAMPSON Nestled by the field in front of the Boys and Girls Club, this playground is a small part of the Lampson Recreation Complex.

The complex includes tennis courts, basketball courts, whiffle ball fields, softball fields, and a football field. The small playground there now is used everyday by the child care programs at the club and shows its wear and tear.

For the middle school or high school students, Libby agreed there is a need for a skate park. In the Lampson complex there is room for this. Because middle school students are a difficult group to find activities for, a skate part can help with giving a positive place for them to go. Libby was concerned that without a place to go, the skaters can be destructive as they attempt to create jumps and ramps on curbs and picnic tables. Libby said the police, local businesses, and churches in town would like to see a skate park but unfortunately, it isn’t currently high on the priority list for groups to join in, fund raise or build.

“There are a lot of conflicting feelings in our town about this,” said Libby.

Libby is in the process of fund raising for a newer, more contemporary playground in athe level dirt spots by the parking lots and basket ball courts. She worked with the Recreation Commission on the design this winter. This design is posted at the Recreation Department office on Boston Road and shows enhancements made by a gazebo, benches, and trees. If a skate park is not done on the pavement adjacent to the playground then a safety village, which will have an area for younger children to ride through on their bicycles, may be the next choice.

The Recreation Department is in the process of working with a private donor, who’s writing an urban self help grant, as well as scheduling fund raisers to come up with the needed $200,000 it will take to finish this new space to play. It will take 50-100 people in our community to build and complete this project.

New tennis courts will go in this summer since the funding for this part of the space has been approved and allocated in the town budget.

THE PLAYGROUND AT KIDS KONNECTION Behind O’Connor’s Hardware Store in Billerica Center you will find Kids Konnection, the brightest gem in the “playground crown” of Billerica. It is the largest playground in town with the most layers of renovation. It has the largest offering of equipment and play choices for all age groups. There is multi-level play equipment, picnic tables, park benches and a gazebo.

Libby has a special affinity for Kid Konnection since her local Moms and Tots group adopted this playground back when one of her daughters was very young. This group was instrumental in advocating for additional equipment to be installed that toddlers could enjoy.

Originally, Kids Konnection was primarily wooden structures, with high metal slides and little delineation between the younger children’s area and the school aged student’s structures. In 1996, there was a fire in which accelerant was poured onto part of the

wooden structures and partially ruined them. Libby points out that this was a blessing in disguise as it allowed the town to replace the 2-5 year old toddler area with newer equipment.

New playground equipment that was plastic, metal, brightly colored, and developmentally right sized was purchased and installed in stages. This age group has springing toys, climbing structures with plenty of railings, a complete train play dozer, a variety of swings and a large sand box to choose from. For the school aged child, there are plenty of different versions of the overhead bars to encourage upper body strengthening. There are also all sorts of swings, spinners and a large web climber which is part of a course that allows the child to never touch the ground.

“Playgrounds are fun and should be challenging,” said Libby.

ISAAC ALLEN

STEVEN LUCOZZI

OLIVIA FLIGHT

“But we need to take out the unnecessary risks.”

Claiming ownership is important as it helps deter some of the vandalism and graffiti which is a prevalent problem in this and other playgrounds. In November 2008, Kids Konnection was vandalized with painted graffiti. There were seven children involved and they all got caught. The police were contacted and were extremely helpful.

In the following spring of 2009, the parents of these children supplied the paint remover and the children took off the graffiti.

Libby attributes about 80% of the vandalism, which happens pretty regularly, to unsupervised middle school students. She simply cleans it up immediately or paints over it. She feels the way in combating it is to move fast so those doing this won’t get the satisfaction of people seeing their “artwork” at all.

“Word got out that we wouldn’t tolerate this,” said Libby. “We have it more under control than most places.”

When Kids Konnection has needed further updates and

changes with new equipment, Libby has put together community builds which gets local organizations involved. The thought behind this is if they put it together, they will take care of it. Libby says that luckily there are a lot of residents who love the playgrounds and care for them.

Just this spring, American Science and Engineering (AS&E), a large corporation in town, in an effort to complete a large scale community service project, made a large donation. This enabled Libby to order and oversee the installation of new structures and the laying out of new landscaping. The landscape design was done in collaboration between Libby and a local girl scout earning her Bronze Award. The newest equipment, situated in the center of the playground, is an aggressive obstacle course of climbing, balance, and overhead activities.

“Kids will want to come back,” said Steve Dibble, Little Tykes Equipment Distributor and Certified Playground Inspector. Dibble has worked on each improvement phase of the site as the installer.

A dedication ceremony is being scheduled this summer to unveil a sign that will thank the donors of this project, as well as dedicate a bench in memory of Kathi Glavin Higgins. This bench which will be placed at the entrance to the playground.

Other improvements continue coming as well. Through a grant from the Community Funds Program, totally $1,500, the gazebo will be repaired or replaced this fall. The fencing on the O’Connor’s side, which is now being priced, will be replaced by an eight foot fence to ensure further safety.

Safety through fencing and netting at Kids Konnection has been a focus in the past as well.

More than a year ago, when a teen boy on Pollard field hit a baseball over the low fence where there was no net and no equipment, the ball hit a young girl on the head. She had been playing in the large playground sand box that multitudes of children flock to daily. What resulted was a serious injury which caused the town to have to re-look at finding the money otherwise lacking in order to replace the netting. Because of cost, this had not previously been done.

Libby applied for a community fund grant and was awarded $16,000. O’Connor’s Hardware Store donated $4,000. Little League and the Recreation Department came up with another $8,000. The netting was taken down and replaced. It was made higher and stretched further. Libby ensured it was attached securely to the fence around the field and additional fencing was installed with the help from the Little League.

THE PLAYGROUND AT KOHLRAUSCH PARK You may have seen it on Colson Street in North Billerica. This park at Kohlrausch has the small enclosed playground, along with a baseball field and walking track. The playground has such features as a bridge and barriers. There are great places for a kid to hide and climb. Or pop their head over to look at you. Libby would like to see more equipment added for the 2-5 age group and the 10-12 year olds.

This is a park that has suffered a high level of vandalism and

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Action Plan to Make our Playgrounds Safer 1. Be sure new equipment purchased is age appropriate and meets current safety guidelines and standards.

2. Be sure the equipment is installed properly with proper surfacing provided. graffiti. The graffiti was being carved into the solid panels so Libby replaced them with open panels instead. Many of the wooden benches were being destroyed so all seven were replaced with recycled plastic and steel seating by the inmates from the House of Corrections.

It was at Kohlrausch that she had the fence surrounding the dumpster repainted after it was damaged by graffiti this spring. As an up and coming project, a gazebo is in the planning stages and due to be completed by a local Boy Scout as he goes for his Eagle Scout award.

WHAT YOU CAN DO When it comes to our playgrounds, all aspects of safety and maintenance should be a consideration by everyone using and enjoying them. We all own them. There are basic things you should do. Ensure that your child is is visible to you. This is why items like

Hey! Let’s Play!

Libby has actually been working on playgrounds since 1989. For the past four years, she has worked as the Playground Coordinator for the town recreation department part time. A mother of three children, she started her own business in 2003 called P.S. Play Safe as an Independent Playground Consultant. Her work encompasses all aspects of playground safety from development to installation to maintenance to education. She is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector and is S.A.F.E. certified by the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS). Libby works full time from April to November as a Forest and Park Supervisor at Walden Pond, a state park in Concord, MA.

3. Have an action plan for maintenance and do it properly with regular safety checks.

chimes or knobs are kept down low. Patrol the playgrounds for safety, and report any concerns to the Recreation Department.

Keeping the playgrounds clean is another full time job. This is why Libby incorporated the “Take Five” program to get all those who come to the playgrounds involved. Designed with a local girl scout troop as a Bronze award project, signs are placed at every playground telling children and adults alike to pick up five piece of trash before they leave. This promotes a sense of ownership for all of us while combating careless littering.

4. Provide proper supervision of children with safety trained staff.

For more information about the many recreation programs offered in town both on an off the playgrounds, contact the Recreation Department either by phone at 978-671-0921 or on their website at www.billericarecreation.org

These five components are all dependant upon each other and if done together make a powerful and complete plan.

5. Educate the children on playground safety.

Alphabet Soup To continue promoting safety education, Libby recently finished writing her children’s book, “Hey! Let’s Play!” It has been endorsed by the National Program for Playground Safety and a portion of the proceeds go toward the maintenance and care of Billerica playgrounds. It features colorful chalk drawings and playful rhymes as well as safety tips for on and off the playground. These include such things as:

Where to begin for Playground Information:

• When you arrive at a playground, check for trash and danger.

• Stay close to kids as adult supervision is important.

• Kids should wear proper clothing, which includes sneakers, no slippery pants and no strings.

• Bees are attracted to sweets so bring unsweetened foods and healthy snacks.

• Make sure the children are developmentally ready for the equipment they are using.

• Wear sunblock and hats since the playgrounds are often in direct sunlight for a better part of the day.

• Watch for poison ivy and plants that are poisonous to eat.

• Bring a first aid kit and a cell phone.

IPEMA: International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association: www.ipema.org

To get more information about Sandra Libby’s book, contact her directly at 978-407-6307 or email her at PSPlaysafe@yahoo.com.

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials www.astm.org CPSC: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission www.cpsc.gov

NPCAI: International Playground Contractors Association: www.playground-contractors.org NPPS: National Program for Playground Safety: www.uni.edu NRPA: National Recreation & Park Assoc.: www.nrpa.org NPSI: National Playground Safety Institute PTO Today: www.ptotoday.com Today’s Playground Magazine: www.todaysplayground.com

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MARRIAGE MATTERS WITH ED AND SANDY

By Sandra Giroux

MARRIAGE PIE The recipe for a successful marriage varies for each and every one of us. What works for Ed and I will differ for you and your spouse, so why should you read on? Let me explain: Take your Great Grandmother’s recipe for Apple Pie. Do you make it exactly the same way as she did? You may follow the same recipe but each time there will be little variances. Does your pie still taste good? More importantly did you try your best and are you proud of the result?

The same analogy as the Apple Pie recipe can be applied to marriage. I can give you the ingredients but you have to season for your taste. You also have to determine the difference between a pinch and a dash or a taste and a tad.

The first main ingredient is Friendship. How can you spend any amount of quality your time with some one who isn’t your friend? Think back to your “younger” days when you thought you had TONS of friends. Which one would stand by your side and hold your hand through thick or thin? Who could you depend on to help with a sick child or elderly parent? That would be some one you want to spend your life with. Contrary to popular belief, lust does fades and life takes over – whom else would you want to be by your side but your friend.

This blends us to the next ingredient, Communication. You need to be able to

communicate with your mate, whether it is going to your mom’s for dinner, to what bills need to be paid in what order to what to spend on your in-laws for Christmas. You also need to be able to talk about the serious stuff like does the seat stay up or down? These communications may sound simple, but simple communication prepare you for the big ones…how to raise our children, do we want children, how do we care for a sick relative or what are your wishes when you are unable to verbalize.

Fold in a healthy dose of Trust. Who do you trust with your deepest secrets and fears? Who do you trust enough to become part of your “crazy but lovable family”, and possibly create a little one? A marriage can not survive if secrets are kept.

I am not talking of the birthday surprise kind but the Oh-by-the-way-I-have-a-secret-identity kind. So, does this mean tell all on the first date?

Usually not, but don’t be shy. I have known first dates to last over twelve (12) hours with out doing anything but TALKING: ours did.

Sift in the ever necessary Common Interests.

What can you communicate about if you have nothing to talk about? Yes, they say opposites attract. But can a relationship be sustained if there are no common values, interests, hobbies and or desires? It doesn’t do any good to marry and create a family if you can’t see your self growing old with this person. Does this mean dump the one you are with if you don’t have a common interest? No, it means develop and share something that you like and invite your partner in. Reciprocate and participate in a hobby that your partner likes.

Make sure when mixing the above ingredients to use equal parts. No relationship can be one sided. Both parties have to be equally committed

to the same goal to make a marriage work.

Marriage should be made between partners that are both in the relationship because they want to be, not because they need to be. Marriage is a balancing act. On any given day you may give more than your partner, but it has to balance out to make it equal.

As in all recipes the baking time is important.

You never have enough time, but you need to make time. I don’t know about your daily life but I have met myself coming and going. You still need to make time to make your partner feel special. MORE importantly, you need to make time for your relationship. We all get caught up in daily life, whether it is work, school, children. You need to find time for each other, and I don’t mean asleep time either. What about a date night? Work out a plan with a friend to watch their little one so they can have date night and they in turn will watch yours so you can enjoy time out as well.

Once the baking is complete, allow cooling time. We all have disagreements, arguments, or even fights. What ever you want to call them, it is okay because we wouldn’t fight with passion if we didn’t care. What is a fair fight? It is a fight that has a purpose and deals only with the main idea. An unfair fight is one that includes every misdemeanor or offense ever committed plus the kitchen sink. Once the words are verbalized, you can not take them back. Know when to say “I was wrong and I am sorry”. Even if you agree to disagree, never go to bed angry. Plus, making up can be fun.

A pie is best if it shared with loved ones.

Share your true feelings, your likes your dislikes, your wants and desires. How can your partner attend to these needs if they are never discussed?

Don’t enter a marriage thinking I can change the other person. Once committed to a marriage, it is not the time for a one sided personality change.

Changes can be made to habits for the betterment of the marriage, but negative changes will affect the balance you’ve achieved and “the pie”.

Please revisit this recipe often and tweak as needed. This recipe can and will change its proportions over the life of your marriage because your priorities change. One day you are discussing your wedding invitations and the next you’re planning for retirement. Life comes at you fast. Choose wisely for this is the person you are hopefully planning to spend the next 50 years or more with. You have to plan for the future but never loose sight of the present. We have recently seen how a normal day can change into a life altering event in a matter of minutes.

Not all pies are salvageable. We all know the statistics on how many marriages fail, we all know people stay in abusive relationships and we all question why. We make assumptions on why the marriage failed or why abused people stay, and we all think it would never be us. But I know first hand that unequal parts lead to a failed marriage.

The best advice I can give, besides choose wisely, is a plaque that is on our wall leading to the bedroom it reads: “A kiss goodnight is one of the sweetest expressions of love I know, in good times or mad…Never forget to kiss each other goodnight.”

Not every day is a tasty morsel, and every good cook has burnt a few dishes but don’t let any one tell you otherwise, and remember this is for the long haul. Good luck with your recipe.

I hope you can say you have had the privilege of marrying your friend. I know I can.

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DAVE SAYS

By Dave Ramsey Standing up to the family.

Dear Dave, I’m 22, and trying to follow your plan to take care of my money. I’m working my way through school. The other day I paid cash for nice little used car. The rest of my family made fun of me, saying I should have bought a new car. They also think I take out student loans for school. They all have car payments, credit card debt, and things like that. How do you deal with criticism like this, especially from your own family?

– Lakeisha Dear Lakeisha, Criticism is a tough thing to handle at any age, especially when it’s coming from your own family. I’m sure your family loves you, but I think you have to recognize the fact that when it comes to handling money, they are a dysfunctional bunch. This doesn’t make them bad people, and you should still respect and love them, but hooray for you for breaking the mold and showing them there’s a better way!

“Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still.” That’s one of my favorite sayings, and it is so true! You, on the other hand, know what you want to accomplish, and you already know what you’re doing is smart. So, I’d suggest taking the bobble-head approach. Just sit there and nod your head when they start telling you how you should handle your finances. You don’t even have to really listen. Then, when they run out of air, go on with your life, follow your excellent plan, and work toward your goals.

Remember, this isn’t about you, so don’t take it personally. It’s about them, and how little they really know.

I can already tell you’re going to be a success, kiddo. You’ve got a tremendous amount of backbone to go against the current in your family.

Just don’t be disrespectful, and don’t try to talk them into following you. In their minds, you’re just 22-years-old, and you don’t know a thing!

Later, if they decide they want to follow you, it will be because they see the stuff you’re doing works! It may not happen for a few years, and it may not happen at all, but if you stay on this path, they’re going to come to you for money one of these days. You can be polite, just say no, and tell them that you’re not going to support their dysfunction. You’ll gain their respect over time.

And once they reach that point, they just might be willing to listen to you!

– Dave Survivor insurance.

Dear Dave, My husband is 30 years old, and already has gone through open heart surgery twice. He has $250,000 in term life insurance, which is all we can afford, but his company started offering survivor insurance. It would provide money for me and the kids over a period of years until I die or if I get re-married. He makes $60,000 a year, and the insurance only costs about $15 a month.

Considering his medical history, what do you think of this idea?

– Jocelyn

Dear Jocelyn, You guys are awfully young to go through all that and be fighting those kinds of medical bills, let alone having to deal with the disease itself. God bless you both. I’m really proud of you, though, for thinking ahead and planning for the future in the midst of such difficulties.

Usually, I’m not a big fan of specialty insurance products, but your case it might be a good idea.

It may be the only affordable insurance you can get. You might want to take a look at mortgage life insurance, too. It’s a rip-off most of the time, but it’s usually a guaranteed issue, meaning they’ll give it to you regardless of your health situation.

Plus, it will pay off your mortgage in the event of his death. Hopefully, you won’t have to cash in anything like that for a long, long time.

– Dave When is the money lost?

Dear Dave, If you invest in the stock market, and the market goes down, what happens to the money?

Is it lost?

– Danny Dear Danny, This is a great question! So many people misunderstand how investments work when the market declines. No actual money disappears.

What goes away is value!

Think about it this way. What happens when you buy a car for $25,000 and its value drops to $15,000? There’s no actual money involved. It’s not like you took bills out of your wallet and threw them away, although it may seem like it when you first roll off the showroom floor. You bought an item for $25,000, and now, after time has passed, it’s not worth $25,000 anymore. It works the same way with stocks. If you bought a company’s stock at $50 and the price of it drops to $40, that $10 didn’t go anywhere. It’s just lost in terms of market value, or what someone else will pay you for it. Make sense?

So many people believe we operate with a fixed-pie economy. They think money is gone forever if it leaves one place, but this is a faulty premise, because it can just as easily go to another place. My good friend, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, has a wonderful explanation for how this works. He calls it a comparison of cake versus candles. If you slice a cake and give yourself a bigger piece, there’s less for me. But money isn’t like the cake, it’s like the candles! If you light a candle and use it to light other candles, no candle is diminished. There is even more light!

Communists and socialists believe money is like a cake, and if you get some, there’s less left for me. But if you understand and believe that money is more like the candles, then you’re probably a capitalist. In capitalism, it doesn’t mean you lose just because I win; it can just as easily mean that we both win. Once you get adjusted to this kind of thinking, the marketplace isn’t nearly as scary!

– Dave * For more financial advice, plus special offers to our readers, please visit www.davesays.org.

GET INTO EVERY HOME IN BILLERICA Call today or go online to find out how.

Liana Measmer at 978-808-2361 www.thebillericagreen.com

10 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE

By Liana Measmer Photographs by Jim McFeeley

T

hey say angels have always walked among us. But we don’t always know it. Maybe they look just like us. Maybe not. Likewise, we all have our demons. Some over come them. Others don’t and sometimes sadly, tragedy strikes. One minute they are here and the next, they are gone in a flash.

We so often see this acted out in the lives of the celebrity, those who gain their own notoriety. They seem so far outside our reach because of their fame. Almost as though they aren’t human just like us. On a whole different plane. And when they leave us, all we have is the story of who they were.

Hanging onto our history can be something we take for granted. We may not be the ones who gather it yet we just expect it to be there. Open any text book and there it is. Somehow it had to get there. Local history at times tends to be the most important one of all. It gives us roots and an identity. It brings what may seem beyond our grasp from another time back down to earth.

It may not seem like common knowledge but some of the most legendary icons of the 1960’s walked on this little piece of earth next door to us that we like to call Lowell, MA. Maybe their limousine drove through Billerica to get there. The Doors and their famous–or infamous–front man, Jim Morrison performed at the now long gone Commodore Ballroom on August 15, 1967. Where the Lowell commuter rail station garage now stands was the site of this historic building where so many of the bands of the 60’s got their start. The ballroom burned in 1983 but its retaining wall, running along the sidewalk, still stands.

If you ever want to know anything about Jim Morrison and the Doors, look no further than your own backyard. Both the history and the historian exist here in Billerica. Down a side street lives a smart fellow by the name of Scott MacNeil. MacNeil has turned research into an art form. And what he discovered is you can take a passion of collecting and turn it into a tribute.

So, Come. Come and take the journey. Into an era gone by. Brought to Billerica from far beyond.

THE MAN BEHIND THE MYSTERY James Douglas Morrison, born on December 8, 1943, has been considered to be one of the most charismatic and bewildering front men in rock music that ever lived. Morrison, the self proclaimed Lizard King, may have been known for his baritone vocals, but fans knew him better for his theatrical stage performances, his self-destructive lifestyle and his love of poetry. Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” was a favorite of his.

Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida, to future Admiral George Stephen Morrison and Clara Clarke Morrison. Morrison had a sister, Anne Robin, and a brother, Andrew Morrison. He was of Scottish, Irish, and English descent.

When Morrison was four years old, he witnessed a car accident in the desert, where a family of Native Americans was killed. The horrible event traumatized the young Jim Morrison who believed that the spirit of an Indian, a shaman, had entered his own soul. He referred to this incident in a performance on the song “Dawn’s Highway” from the album An American Prayer, and again in the songs “Peace Frog” and “Ghost Song”.

“Indians scattered on dawn’s highway bleeding, Ghosts crowd the young child’s fragile eggshell mind...”

With his father in the Navy, Morrison’s family moved often. He spent part of his childhood California and Virginia. He completed his undergraduate degree in UCLA’s College of Fine Arts, in 1965. As a college student, he was fascinated with the psychology of crowds, surrealism and sensual verite.

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 11

THE BAND THAT ROCKED THE WORLD In 1965, after graduating from UCLA, Morrison led a Bohemian lifestyle in Venice Beach. Morrison with UCLA classmate Ray Manzarek. The two formed the band The Doors.

Manzarek thought Jim was witty and deadly and smart. Shortly thereafter, drummer John Densmore joined and recommended Robby Krieger, the groups’ guitarist. The Doors took their name from the title of Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception. Its central reference spoke to the band’s poetic improvisation-“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it was-infinite.”.

In 1966, Morrison and The Doors became a regular house band at the Whisky-a-Go-Go. Morrison cleaned up his appearance and became a young Adonis in his well known tight leather pants. In addition, crowds filled the Whisky a go-go to see Morrison’s antics.

The band achieved national recognition after signing with Elecktra Records. In 1966, The Doors went into the studio and the result was one of their most electrifying albums; one of their most eerie too. “The End” was a testimony to brutal self examination and through this recording, The Doors had captured their essence on tape. What followed was the single “Light My Fire” which reached number one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in July 1967.

A big moment in The Doors history was their appearance on the The Ed Sullivan Show. The censors insisted the lyrics of “Light My Fire” from “Girl we couldn’t get much higher” be changed to “Girl we couldn’t get much better.”

This was reportedly due to what could be perceived as a reference to drugs in the original lyrics. Giving assurances of compliance to Sullivan, Morrison then proceeded to sing the song with the original lyrics anyway.

He later said he simply forgot to make the changes. This infuriated Sullivan so much that he refused to shake their hands after their performance and thus they were never invited back on the show.

By the release of their second album, “Strange Days”, The Doors had become one of the most popular rock bands in the United States. Their blend of blues and rock tinged with psychedelic themes included a number of original songs and as well as distinctive cover versions. Since they wanted to enhance the sound of first album, they used echo, mood synthesizer and bits of electronic piano. The LP title lived up to the Doors mystery.

In 1968, The Doors released their third studio LP, “Waiting for the Sun”. Around this time, Morrison was becoming incessantly more difficult. At his best he was captivating; at his worst he was a clown. Morrison was not changing for anyone and at 23, was becoming the most influential singer in America.

After the release of their fourth LP, “The Soft Parade”, Morrison started to show up for recording sessions inebriated.

At performances, Morrison would egg on the crowds to riot.

His alcoholism was at a fever pitch and as a result, the band, over time grew more and more frustrated with his antics. By 1969, the formerly svelte singer had gained significant weight, had grown a beard, and had abandoned the leather pants and concho belts for slacks, jeans and T-shirts.

During a 1969 concert at The Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Morrison attempted to spark a riot in the audience and was arrested by the Dade County Police Department three days later for indecent exposure. Consequently, many of The Doors’ scheduled concerts were canceled. In the years following the incident, Morrison had been exonerated.

The Doors next released the “Morrison Hotel” LP which pushed its way up the charts with stripped down and dirty rock and roll.

After a lengthy break, the group regrouped in 1970 to record what would be their last album with Morrison, “L.A. Woman”. This was the album from which “Riders of the Storm” and “Love her Madly” came forth.

Morrison met his long-term companion, Pamela Courson, well before he gained fortune and fame and she was a driving force behind his poetry. Courson and Morrison’s relationship was known to be a stormy one at best. At times, Courson called herself “Morrison” and following her death in 1974, a California Probate Court determined she and Morrison had a common law marriage.

MORRISON BECOMES A LEGEND Morrison moved to Paris in March 1971. It was in Paris that Morrison made his last studio recording with two American street musicians who included a version “Orange County Suite”, a song which was originally only heard on a bootleg “The Lost Paris Tapes” but is now found in “The Doors” 1997 box set.

Morrison died on July 3, 1971. In the official account of his death, it was said that he was found in a Paris apartment bathtub by Courson. Pursuant to French law, no autopsy was performed because the medical examiner claimed to have found no evidence of foul play. Without an official autopsy, there are many questions regarding Morrison’s cause of death.

One theory is that Morrison had died of a heroin overdose, having inhaled what he believed to be Courson’s cocaine and then dying of a hemorrhage. Courson reportedly said they had taken heroin after a night of drinking in bars. She noted that Morrison had been coughing badly, had gone to take a bath, but had thrown up blood.

Courson said that he appeared to recover and that she then went to sleep. When she awoke sometime later Morrison was unresponsive and so she called for medical assistance.

Courson herself died of a heroin overdose three years later. Like Morrison, she was 27 years old at the time of her death. What came out later was the theory that Morrison may not have died at all, possibly having faked his death.

Morrison is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in eastern Paris, one of the city’s most visited tourist attractions.

The grave had no official marker until French officials placed a shield over it which was stolen in 1973. In 1981, Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin placed a bust of Morrison at the grave to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death; however, the bust was defaced and later stolen in 1988.

In the 1990s, Morrison’s father, George Stephen Morrison, placed a flat stone on the grave. The stone bears the Greek inscription which literally means “According to his own demon” or more nicely interpreted as “True to his own spirit”. Death made Jim Morrison a legend.

Morrison remains one of the most popular and influential singers/writers in rock history as The Doors’ repertoire has become a staple on classic rock radio shows. To this day, he is widely regarded as the typical rock star: surly, sexy, scandalous and mysterious. The leather trousers he was fond of wearing both on stage and off have since become stereotyped as true rock star apparel.

The Doors will always summon the passion of a dangerous era. They paid a terrible price for going into the unexplored regions but brought back incredible stories.

THE COLLECTOR TURNED HISTORIAN They say when a love becomes pure and sure and stable, the lust fades. The passion remains but is tempered by a sense of certainty. In essence, this is what may have happened for Scott MacNeil. He crossed over the bridge from a zealous collector to the go-to guy on all things Doors. This is something he does

12 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

quietly but assuredly. He knows this band inside and out in and is committed to doing his part in passing on their memory and legacy accurately and fully.

When Scott MacNeil was 19, he purchased his first Doors album copy of The Doors Greatest Hits. He loved every song on it and thus began his pursuit of collectibles from the band. His collection spans from the obscure to the sublime and everything in between. Multiple posters, many signed by the surviving band members.

Hundreds of Doors albums in boxes piled about his apartment. Videos, DVDs, CDs, books, not to mention the packaged matchbox sized replica of Morrison’s Mustang Shelby GT which had been affectionately named the Blue Lady. There are Doors slippers and a license plate holder that says “I don’t suffer from an addiction to Jim Morrison.

I enjoy every second of it.”

There are tapestries, most notably one woven with Morrison between God and Adam in Michaelangelo’s Creation of Man. On the first floor of his two family home are a couple of actual doors taken from homes where Morrison and his family lived. One is even complete with a door bell that plays “Break on Through” when pressed. MacNeil would like to change the tune to “The End”, where the lyrics seem more fitting “…And then he walked on down the hall, and he came to a door, and he looked inside…” The doors are artistically and exquisitely painted with Morrison’ image and the words to Love Her Madly. Thousands of dollars have been spent on this collection, which MacNeil is sure is the largest in New England.

Happy in his pursuits, MacNeil happened to be speaking with a woman who mentioned she’d seen the band play at the Commodore Ballroom in Lowell in 1967. Amazed, MacNeil decided to research this concert.

In scouring different libraries, MacNeil found a small ad for

the concert on August 15, 1967 on microfilm.

He contacted members of the opening band, Little John and the Sherwoods, for additional information and discovered it actually happened.

He picked up one of his favorite books, “On the road with the Doors” by Greg Shaw to look it up and realized this show was not even listed. In contacting the author, MacNeil discovered that Shaw had no knowledge of this date.

It was in these moments that he knew he wanted to find out more. He did so after seeing his favorite band once more. In Feb. 2007, when the remaining members of the band unveiled their star on the walk of fame, MacNeil was present.

Also, following his attendance at a 2007 taping of the “Jay Leno Show”, Leno said he had been at a Doors concert at Hampton Beach’s Casino Ballroom.

MacNeil continued to pursue the series of events of the day the Doors came to Lowell.

Since he knew that Morrison was such a fan’s of Jack Kerouac, he contacted Kerouac’s biographer Ellis Amburn who confirmed that Morrison had visited the Kerouac home on Saunders Avenue in Lowell but was turned away by Kerouac’s mother before meeting his idol.

“Every answer lead to another question,” said MacNeil.

A CLASSIC VENUE In order to talk about the 15th of August, we first must look at the locale. The Commodore Ballroom was built in 1912 and had once been used as a roller skating rink. The Commodore was among the largest ballrooms in New England with a capacity for nearly 3,000 dancers. In addition to the Doors, other famous performers like Sammy Kaye, Duke Ellington and The Birds played there.

In 1924, Carl Braun bought the Commodore from Charles Bunker who had originally built the building. The ballroom did not have a liquor license which Braun applied for. When Braun was denied a license in 1972, Braun sold the Commodore. Under new management and after a renovation, it opened as a dinner club.

However, because of vandalism to parked cars in the area, it closed soon after. It reopened as Mr. C’s and featured well known pop rock acts like the

Ramones, Joe Cocker, and Ian Hunter.

Following a shooting death of a Littleton man in Oct. 1982, the Lowell police put pressure on the owners to suspend the club’s liquor license. A ninety day suspension ended in March 1983 and the building burned down in June 1983, sixteen years after the Doors set foot in it. On the retaining brick wall that still stands, someone had spray painted “Morrison Lives” which was there for 20 years before it was cleaned off.

ONE DAY IN THE LIFE It was a hot day on that Tuesday evening in August. It was 1967 and it was the “Summer of Love”. The Doors arrived at the Commodore Ballroom arrived in a limousine followed by a white truck carrying their equipment. A shirtless Morrison and Manzarek stood outside to have a cigarette.

They were just coming off a number one hit the month before, “Light my Fire” and it was assumed they had already been booked to come to Lowell prior to hitting it big.

Opening for the Doors was Little John and the Sherwoods. When they hit the stage of that sold out show, The Doors opened with “When the Music’s Over” from their second album “Strange Days’ which was not out yet. Later on, they did a version of “Light my Fire” that was 20 minutes long. Other songs the Doors performed that night included “The Crystal Ship”, “Whisky bar”, and “Alabama song”.

While up on stage, Morrison got a shock from the microphone. He let out a swear and was reprimanded by a police officer. He asked if Jack Kerouac was around and mispronounced Lowell.

Because Morrison was either stoned or drunk, following the concert, two bouncers picked him and escorted him out. The Doors would go on to play at the Hampton Beach Casino a few days later.

ROOMS FULL OF INFORMATION One may wonder where MacNeil goes from here. He spent so much time on this, going from library to library to look for the right information. He has poured over records and documents. He has made photo copies and read through microfilm. The next stop is clear. “On the road with the Doors”, of course. He contacted Greg Shaw, author to the book to let him know his part was just about done. Shaw told MacNeil when he reprinted this book, MacNeil’s work would be included but Shaw would come up to see him first .

For now, MacNeil is content to enjoy his collection and looks forward to being a contributor. He believes his persistence in researching have been what has paid off for him.

The Doors will always be immortalized. He just found a fitting place for The Doors in local history and broke on through to the other side.

“When the music’s over, turn out the lights.” – Jim Morrison

COURTESY PHOTOS

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 13

ASK DR. GINA Parenting tips by Dr. Gina Aguayo

Q: I’m a parent and the warm weather has arrived. Summer vacation is quickly approaching and I need to start planning for how I’ll be handling all that free time for my kids. Any ideas? – Signed, Mom with bored kids A: Spring has definitely sprung and many of us are looking forward to the summer. School projects, awards ceremonies, and finals have all been crossed off the list and the only thing left to do is have fun. At least, that’s what you’re kids are thinking.

Parents often find the summer to be one of the most difficult times of year. The family routine is turned upside down during the summer. No longer are cell phone restrictions easily enforced until after homework is completed. Bedtime becomes negotiable, as kids no longer need to wake in order to make the bus. How then, do parents begin to structure their children’s days without being accused of taking away the fun and freedom of summer vacation?

The balance between structure and freedom is delicate during the summer. Parents are left to figure out how much to ask of their children. It becomes necessary to discuss your expectations with your children. Are they expected to wake up by a certain hour? What time is bedtime? What chores will they need to accomplish each day or week? What are the new rules for cell phone usage, video gaming, and computer/Internet time? Be as specific as possible in order to avoid confusion or possible loopholes. In addition to renegotiating their responsibilities and privileges, be sure to inform your children of the consequences for not fulfilling these obligations. Again, be specific. It may also be helpful to keep a log or tally of your children’s tasks and any consequences they are experiencing. This type of accountability helps to keep everyone following through on your “summer contract”.

For some families, the “summer contract” resembles the structured schedule of the academic year due to parental work schedules.

When set times are mandated because of parental obligations, take time to explain to your children why their summer looks different than their friends’, especially those friends who have a stayat-home caregiver. The brief discussion may seem unnecessary, as nothing has changed in your house simply because school is out, but to your children, not being able to sleep-in or stay at

home like their best friend may be confusing or lead to feelings of anger. Let them know that their schedule is different because Mom and Dad work and cannot be home during the day, emphasize the positive aspects of the summer experiences they are scheduled to attend (e.g. “you’ll be at camp all day playing baseball” or “Mary is also at Fun Club”). Discuss why they cannot stay home alone. Allow your children to be upset and affirm their feelings. Share your feelings; be honest and upfront. Maintaining a year-round schedule is difficult for everyone.

In addition to maintaining schedules and keeping up with their responsibilities, allow your children to have some goofing-off time with friends and family. Part of the fun of summer vacation is being able to do nothing. Parents need to remember that balance is very important for their children. If your children are taking care of their daily tasks in a timely manner, give them the freedom to sit by the pool and listen to music, hang out with friends, read a book or watch a movie. Taking time to socialize and relax gives kids the opportunity to sharpen their social skills without using technology and rejuvenate from the stresses of the academic year. Again, as a parent it becomes necessary to monitor how much downtime is taking place each day and how your children are spending this time.

Consistently sleeping the day away or staying in their room (isolating) are behaviors that appear to be “relaxing” but may be warning signs of something more serious. Be sure to monitor your children for other changes in their behavior if you are concerned.

Finally, remember to have fun with your kids. Summer vacation is all about taking time together and enjoying each other. Go to the beach or play a family game of volleyball. Tie-dye t-shirts together and then wear them at your next family gathering. Exercise together by going for a walk around the neighborhood. Summertime gives families the perfect opportunity to spend time together without loosing the structure that keeps each day running smoothly.

The Billerica Green & thebillericagreen.com Ask about our

PRINT & WEB Advertising Packages Call Liana Measmer at 978-808-2361

14 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Courtesy of www.billerica.org

June 2009 RIVERFEST June 12-14 All along the Concord River, communities will host special events to celebrate the river’s outstanding cultural and historical significance, its beauty, and value for recreation and wildlife.

Riverfest will include nature walks, bike tours, river photo contest, musical tributes and much more! Visit their website: http://www.sudburyassabet-concord.org/ or call 617-223-5225 for information!

Riverfest will include nature walks, bike tours, river photo contest, musical tributes and much more! Visit their website: http://www.sudburyassabet-concord.org/ or call 617-223-5225 for information!

Saturday, June 13th Yankee Bassmasters Fishing Derby Saturday, June 13 8:00 AM-1:00 PM Micozzi Beach, Nuttings Lake Sponsored by the Yankee Bassmasters Of New England this fishing derby is a special treat for kids. Free worms, trophies for largest fish caught, free lunch to all youth participants. Bring your fishing rod and reel.

RELAY FOR LIFE IN GREATER BILLERICA June 13-14 12:00 noon through 8:00 AM Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event and offers everyone in the community the chance to participate in the fight against cancer. The event’s purpose is to raise money and draw focus to the importance of healthy life styles, early detection and research while celebrating life with survivors and friends; and honoring the memory of loved ones. During the relay, teams camp out and take turns walking laps from the start to the end of this great family event. There will be activities, games, music and much more scheduled throughout the entire event. To volunteer, register a team, provide sponsorship, or for more information, contact Kristin Scott at (781) 314-2678 or email at: Kristin.Scott@CANCER.ORG

RIVERFEST June 12-14 All along the Concord River, communities will host special events to celebrate the river’s outstanding cultural and historical significance, its beauty, and value for recreation and wildlife.

Sunday, June 14th RIVERFEST June 12-14 All along the Concord River, communities will host special events to celebrate the river’s outstanding cultural and historical significance,

its beauty, and value for recreation and wildlife.

Riverfest will include nature walks, bike tours, river photo contest, musical tributes and much more! Visit their website: http://www.sudburyassabet-concord.org/ or call 617-223-5225 for information!

Sunday, June 21st ( Fathers Day )

July 2009 Saturday, July 4th ( Independence Day ) INDEDPENDANCE DAY CELEBRATION featuring FULL TURN BAND 10:00–2:00 Food, Fun, Festivities!

Sponsored by Billerica Lions Club Sunday, July 5th Open House - Clara Sexton House The Billerica Historical Society will be opening the historic Clara Sexton House, 36 Concord Rd., on the first Sunday of each month from 1-3 PM, May through October. For more information call 978-667-7020.

Tuesday, July 7th SUMMER CONCERTS-RAMPAGE TRIO Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held on the Town Commons at 7:00 PM. Great fun for the whole family! Bring dinner, blanket, lawn chair and your dancing shoes! Concerts sponsored by the Friends of Billerica Recreation, Inc. Monday, July 13th The Billerica Lions Club’s 27th Annual “William H. Flaherty Memorial” Golf Tournament This is one of the area’s longest-running charity golf tournaments.

Location: Green Meadow Golf Club, 59 Steele Road, Hudson, NH Starting Time: 7:30 AM - Shotgun Start Includes: 18 Holes of Golf with cart, Breakfast & BBQ Lunch, Contests, Raffles, Prizes, Golf Balls, Goodie Bag and more.

Benefits: Proceeds will be used to support Lions eye research, kindergarten eye screening & other charitable activities of the Billerica Lions Club in the local community.

Cost: $115 per player ($460 per foursome) if registered & paid by June 29, 2009; $125 per player ($500 per foursome) after June 29, 2009 (on a space available basis) Sponsorships Available: Hole Sponsor $100; Breakfast Sponsor $300; Team Sponsor $550 (includes 4 golfers and 1 sign); Event Title Sponsor $1,000 (1 available).

The event Registration Form may be downloaded from here Registration Form PDF Contact: Tony at (978) 663-8314 (Email: acucchi@verizon.net) or Bob at (978) 670-8814 (Email: LionsTaleEditor@comcast.net) Tuesday, July 14 th SUMMER CONCERTS FOUR GUYS IN TUXES Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held on the Town Commons at 7:00 PM. Great fun for the whole family! Bring dinner, blanket, lawn chair and your dancing shoes! Concerts sponsored by the Friends of Billerica Recreation, Inc. Tuesday, July 21st SUMMER CONCERTS BOBBY VALENTIN ENTERTAINMENT LIVE Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held on the Town Commons at 7:00 PM. Great fun for the whole family! Bring dinner, blanket, lawn chair and your dancing shoes! Concerts sponsored by the Friends of Billerica Recreation, Inc. Tuesday, July 28th SUMMER CONCERTS-BEATLE TRACKS Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held on the Town Commons at 7:00 PM. Great fun for the whole family! Bring dinner, blanket, lawn chair and your dancing shoes! Concerts sponsored by the Friends of Billerica Recreation, Inc.

August 2009 Saturday, August 1st FAMILY FUN FISHING Saturday, August 1 9:00 AM–12 Noon Micozzi Beach, Middlesex Turnpike $2.00 pp

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 15

Join us for a fantasitc morning of family fishing fun. Prizes will be given for the younger anglers in different categories during the event. Anyone 15 years of age or older may need a license to fish but are welcome to participate.

For more info contact the Recreation Department or call 1-978-671-0921 Sunday, August 2nd Open House - Clara Sexton House The Billerica Historical Society will be opening the historic Clara Sexton House, 36 Concord Rd., on the first Sunday of each month from 1-3 PM, May through October. For more information call 978-667-7020.

Tuesday, August 4th SUMMER CONCERTS RHYTHM MECHANICS Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held on the Town Commons at 7:00 PM. Great fun for the whole family! Bring dinner, blanket, lawn chair and your dancing shoes! Concerts sponsored by the Friends of Billerica Recreation, Inc. Tuesday, August 11th SUMMER CONCERTS JOHN PENNY BAND Billerica Library Ice Cream Sundae 6: 00 PM Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held on the Town Commons at 7:00 PM. Great fun for the whole family! Bring dinner, blanket, lawn chair and your dancing shoes! Concerts sponsored by the Friends of Billerica Recreation, Inc.

Wednesday, August 12th 19th ANNUAL Billerica Recreations DOG DAYS GOLF TOURNAMENT

for the whole family! Bring dinner, blanket, lawn chair and your dancing shoes! Concerts sponsored by the Friends of Billerica Recreation, Inc.

Wednesday, August 12 8:30 AM Sign-In Billerica Country Club Team of 1 Adult (17 or older) & 1 child (under 17) Adult Only Teams are welcome if space is available. $30.00/child and $60.00/Adult Enjoy 9 holes of golf, lunch and great prices for the winners! Golf Raffle and special events (one club hole, closest to the pin, longest putt and best score by age) will increase your opportunity to win and have an enjoyable time!

For more info contact the Recreation Department or call 1-978-671-0921

Tuesday, August 25th SUMMER CONCERTS FRONT PAGE Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held on the Town Commons at 7:00 PM. Great fun for the whole family! Bring dinner, blanket, lawn chair and your dancing shoes! Concerts sponsored by the Friends of Billerica Recreation, Inc.

Friday, August 14th GOLF TOURNAMENT Boys and Girls Club of Billerica Annual Tournament-Friday, August 14@ 8 am at the Country Club of Billerica. All funds raised will be used to provide financial aid to deserving families for the club’s child care programs. Cost is $110 per golfer, $400 foursome. Call 978-667-2193 x102 or visit our web site www.billericabgc.com to register.

Tuesday, August 18th SUMMER CONCERTS TOE JAM PUPPET BAND Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held on the Town Commons at 7:00 PM. Great fun

Childcare Openings Licensed daycare 12 years experience, full-time opening where learning is fun, lot’s of activities reasonable rate all meals & snacks included.

Contact Cheryl 978-663-0350 or cheryldawn555@aol.com

To advertise in The Billerica Green call Liana Measmer at 978-808-2361

16 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009 Left: Francisco Montoya and Heather March, Bottom right: Francisco and Allison Hill, Middle: Grey Townsend and Michela Avenuti, Bottom left: Lisa Roy

By Liana Measmer

TILL wheelchair ensemble touches lives.

Imagine that you can’t use your legs.

They just don’t work. The ability to walk and move our bodies for those of us who can is something often taken for granted.

This, however, is something the residents of the TILL-Toward Independent Living and Learning-program live with day in and out.

For the past several years, TILL Inc. day programs, located on Boston Road, have been assisting individuals with special needs to build skills in various ways while involving them in opportunities through the community to serve others.

Through TILL, Dances with Wheels, a talented wheelchair ensemble group, is getting the chance to soar everyday. Dances with Wheels started in 2006 as a small project intended to introduce different styles of sensory therapies through music and wheelchair dance. This was chosen as there was not much opportunity for

those in wheelchairs to be involved in dance.

“This was inspired by ‘Dancing with the Stars’,” said Luis Salas, TILL Staff member and dancer for the wheelchair ensemble.

Through the ensemble, the individuals have the opportunity to expand their performances while giving back to the community. With the cooperation of BATV, Dances with Wheels has traveled from Lexington to Lowell, dancing at various nursing homes, hospitals, and children’s facilities. Once the dance is over, the dancer invites a member of the residence to get up and join the dancer in one of the many musical scores.

It was at the senior center in Billerica that the group received such a positive response that they realized they had something they could build on.

“The concept is to give individuals the opportunities to do what everyone else does,” said Salas.

The newest heights being climbed are the big stage. For the first time, the group of five wheelchair bound adults will look out into an auditorium in their ‘Smell the Roses’ show debuting in the Billerica High School Auditorium.

“We’re all finding a purpose in life,” said Doug Townsend, TILL Central Site Supervisor.

“They’ve inspired others to dance.”

Proceeds from their show benefit the TILL Central Scholarship Fund which helps to support individuals with developmental disabilities pursuing advancement through the Billerica Scholarship Foundation. Townsend hopes they raise about $4,000 through this show.

The production, a culmination of months of hard work, features new age music scores by Tim

Janis. Townsend said the music is easy to dance to in wheelchairs and the group really loves it. In each act, each performance has a theme.

“Each song has it’s own sentiment,” said Salas.

Heather March dances to a song called “Reflections” and her theme is to help others remember to play. Through graceful turns and spins, the joy on her face shows as she dances her own interpretation to the music. In the background, the audience sees groups of children playing on stage.

“I’m a little nervous and excited,” said March.

For Michela Avenati, who came from Italy seven years ago, being part of this group is very therapeutic for her. She dances to “Sight of My Homeland” in remembrance of her country.

“I love dancing with my colleagues,” said Avenati. “I want to thank my friends here and my friends in Italy.”

Lisa Roy has a solo as she is the best driver in the group. With atrophied hands that allow her only the use of two fingers, Roy is able to make wide swoops and swerves to the tone of what she hears. Her wheelchair, covered in sequins, reflects the light back to the crowd, which is something she already does with her beaming smile.

“I’m nervous,” said Roy. “I’m on stage all by myself.”

Allison Hill leads the dance to “Ever I love you”, which features the fathers in tuxedos dancing with their daughters. Dennis Fryer dances to “Coming home” which is all about our service men and women. At the end of the dance, two National Guardsmen who are on stage with Fryer, salute him.

“This picks up people’s spirits and raises money for a great cause,” said Townsend.

To make a donation to the TILL Central Scholarship Fund, visit the TILL website www.tillinc.org or the Billerica Scholarship Foundation through Billerica Public Schools www.billerica.mec.edu.

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 17

TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT MONEY Brought to you by Ronald V. Bazza CRPC (In conjunction with Lincoln Financial Advisors, a division of Lincoln Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor)

Interestingly, the subject of how to handle money is something that many parents put off discussing with their children—often because their parents weren’t forthcoming about money, so it’s not a subject they are necessarily comfortable bringing up with their children.

If you avoid discussing money management with your children, they will likely pick up lessons on how to handle money from the least appealing sources: the media, advertisers or friends—all of whom often make compelling pitches to young minds to overspend.

MOLDING BEHAVIOR Fortunately, there are a number of ways that parents can teach their children to be thoughtful, deliberate and generous with the money they earn or are given. A good place to start is with an allowance. The purpose of the allowance is to give your children practice at making decisions on how to handle money. When you first start giving an allowance, it’s a good idea to use that occasion to offer guidance about what are acceptable ways to use the funds. This is a good time to introduce “short” and “long” term goal setting.

“We want to teach children to do four things with their allowance: spend, save, invest and donate. One way parents can reinforce these options is by giving their kids a piggy bank with four slots, one for each of the choices. The purpose is to help children think about their money options, rather than just rush out and spend as quickly as possible. This can help teach and reinforce the notion of delayed gratification.

A MINDSET OF GIVING As your children get older, it’s a good idea to incorporate financial goals into their savings efforts. It not only makes money management more fun, but it encourages kids to carefully consider the consequences of spending money.

For instance, if you want your children to learn that it’s important to give back to the community, you may consider taking it even further and encouraging your kids to not only make donations, but also volunteer their time

YANKEE DOODLE NEEDS FUNDS

By Liana Measmer Everyone loves a parade. It’s a big part of this community, a community committed to families and wholesome fun. This year, the the annual Yankee Doodle Homecoming celebration, which features the biggest parade around, has been moved to Sept. 11-13. The theme is to Remember Your Heritage and it can be done in numerous ways.

Recalling family traditions or even remembering our service men and women counts.

Currently, funds are low and the committee is seeking assistance. $35,000 to $40,000 need to be raised and the committee is far under that amount to date. Committee chair Joan Parcewski

at some of the charities the family supports financially.

SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE While communication is critical when teaching children good spending and saving habits, parents should keep in mind that their own actions are equally important. Accordingly, parents should share their own financial values and goals with their children.

For instance, tell them about your own goals, that you’re saving for their college education and your own retirement. Let them know that each week you take money from your paycheck and put it toward a college fund and 401(k) plan. If they start hearing these terms at a young age, they’ll remember them. It’s important to keep in mind that if we want our children to be good money managers, we have to model that behavior first.

Postponing discussions about money management doesn’t help your children, and can even hurt them in the long run. From an early age, children are constantly exposed to advertising that bombards them with the often persuasive message that the main purpose of having money is to spend it. Countering that siege is a task that should begin early – as soon as they are able to understand simple concepts.

Starting a financial education early is critical.

With very young children, you’re molding behavior. When you reach kids at the middle school or high school level, it’s much harder to change their attitudes and behavior, because at those stages kids are more influenced by their peers and societal pressure.

Ronald Bazza is a registered representative and investment advisor representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., member SIPC, 330 Boston Road, Billerica, MA 01862 (978) 2629902, offering insurance through Lincoln affiliates and other fine companies. This information should not be construed as legal or tax advice. You may want to consult a tax advisor regarding this information as it relates to your personal circumstances. The content of this material was created by Lincoln Financial Advisors for its representatives and their clients.

CRN200807-2018311

reminded folks that Sept is not that far away since it is the end of May now. She pointed out that about 20,000 people attend the celebration every year.

Fund raising efforts have included a game night in April and fees toward tables for food vendors. Online monthly auctions have taken place on www.Billerica.org and recently raised $550 for certain items. The Yankee Doodle committee continues to look for donations for the auctions.

“It’s specially good for businesses,” said Parcewski. “What they donate will be visible on Billerica.org.”

The Moose Lodge plans to hold a fund raising event for Yankee Doodle on Aug. 1. Vendors interested in serving can contact Peggy HannonRizza at the Recreation Department. For additional information, visit www.yankeedoodle.org.

18 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

LYME DISEASE AWARENESS

By Jenn Gervais Big Problem from a Little Bug Spring is here, and along with the warmer weather, burgeoning gardens, and longer daylight hours, comes the risk of getting Lyme Disease.

Big deal, you say? Yes - it can be a very big deal.

Lyme is an infection caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, typically transmitted by a deer tick tick bite, and has become the fastestgrowing infectious disease transmitted by ticks in the US. Still, it remains a frequently misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated condition. There are ways to protect yourself from Lyme Disease.

spirochete, cyst, and L-form. This adaptability helps it evade treatment by antibiotics, by blocking out the effects of the drugs in 1 or 2 of the possible forms².

• Treatment for disseminated and/or Chronic Lyme involves long-term use of antibiotics in higher-than-usual dosages. Often months or even possibly years of treatment is required to address the disease.

• In some cases, antibiotics used for Lyme also kill co-infections. But for some co-infections, separate additional medication(s) / treatment are required.

Protect yourself and your family: • Learn about Lyme Disease. Knowledge is power.

• People can be infected if a pet bring ticks into the house, and possibly if your pet has Lyme and bites or scratches a their skin.

• Frequently Lyme Did you know? sufferers were bitten • The CDC reports by a tick in their own more than 20,000 cases in If you are bitten by a tick: yard¹. the US annually. Due • “Ticks are most to issues with diagnosis, • “The tick should be removed plentiful in areas some experts say the promptly by pulling it slowly where woodlands actual cases in the US transition into fields, straight out with fine-pointed are ten times that – meadows, or yards.

200,000³. tweezers or a special tick-removal Ticks are often found • Over 50% of those tool inserted as close to the skin in tall grass, gardens, or who contract Lyme never mulch beds. Deer paths had a bulls-eye rash or as possible. Do not apply heat, through the woods recall being bitten. alcohol, petroleum jelly, or any are often loaded with • If detected early, ticks. Leaf litter, wood other substance. Aggravating Lyme disease is easily piles, and rock walls are treated. the tick in this way may cause also areas of high tick • If detected once it to regurgitate into your blood, concentration. Where disseminated throughout mice are present, ticks the body, it is very increasing your chances for are usually abundant”¹. difficult to treat. infection. Do not squeeze the tick • “When you are • The blood test for with your fingers either, as this can in such areas, you Lyme is 65% accurate³: need to be particularly for 35 out of 100 people force Lyme bacteria into your body.”¹ vigilant to prevent a WITH Lyme, the test • Call your doctor. tick from attaching to will return a negative your body. There are result, indicating that various insect repellents they do NOT have Lyme.

• The sooner treatment is begun after being such as permethrin spray for clothing, that may help. Insect repellents containing DEET are also bitten, the higher the success rate.

• Since blood tests for Lyme are unreliable effective. (On children, for safety, avoid products the CDC recommends Lyme be diagnosed by that contain more than 30% DEET.) Lightsymptoms. In practice however, doctors frequently colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks.

Wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and a rely on the unreliable blood test.

• Late-stage Lyme symptoms mimics diseases hat are helpful. Tuck pant legs into socks to make such as¹: Multiple Schlerosis, Depression / it more difficult for ticks to crawl up your legs.

Anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, Gout, Carpal Tunnel Walk in the center of trails. After any time spent Syndrome, Ménière’s disease, Hepatitis, TMJ outdoors, check for ticks while you are out and as (jaw pain), Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, soon as you get back. Showering is also helpful.

Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ALS (Lou Remember that some of the ticks are extremely Gehrig’s disease), Crohn’s disease, ADHD small and are almost impossible to see. Putting (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), your clothing in a clothes dryer at high heat will kill ticks in about an hour”¹.

Epstein-Barr virus infection, Alzheimer’s disease References • Untreated Lyme can result in neurological 1. Fearn, Douglas W. Lyme Disease and associated disorders, arthritis, blindness,deafness, psychiatric diseases - A plain-language introduction to tickor psychological disorders, heart disease, or death.

• You can get Lyme more than once, from borne diseases, The Basics.

The Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern each new tick bite. Getting Lyme once does Pennsylvania, Inc. www.LymePa.org not provide immunity against the disease.

2. Burrascano Joseph, M.D. Advanced Topics In • The ticks that carry Lyme often carry other diseases as well. The most common Lyme Disease - Diagnostic Hints And Treatment co-infections are anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Guidelines For Lyme And Other Tick Borne Illnesses Babesia, Bartonella (aka Cat Scratch Fever, Board Member, International Lyme and Associated and yes - it’s both a song and a disease), and Diseases Society www.ilads.org 3. The Lyme Disease Solution, Kenneth B Rocky Mountain spotted fever¹ ³.

• Lyme bacteria can alternate between 3 forms: Singleton M.D., M.P.H. www.lymedoctor.com

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 19

THE POWER FROM WITHIN

By Liana Measmer

THE LONG HARD HEAVENLY ROAD AHEAD As I sat at two commencements this week for local high schools, I was there for one reason and one reason only. The tossing of the caps. I love the tossing of the caps. The culmination. The stepping over the bridge to the other side where vast open adventures await you. The sigh of relief or the loud cheering. It’s onto the next thing now and who knows what will happen.

The speaker at one of them spoke so eloquently, which is probably why he was the speaker. (Commencement speakers are like that).

But, I was unprepared for him to speak directly to me. What he talked about struck me right between the eyes. Oh sure, you think he was there for you and your kid. Nope. It was all for me.

Except he didn’t know it.

It started out as all do. A little history about him and words congratulating the wide eyed graduates before him. Soon, talked shifted to advice. However, it was advice that lacked glamor and false promise. Advice that encouraged while telling it like it is.

First, he pointed out that the road to success is paved by long hard hours. He could not be more accurate. I look at where I am right now and I know I did not get here by sitting back and taking it easy. It has come hard fought and hard earned.

I have lost a lot of comfortable yet disingenuous behaviors as a result of a willingness to give 110 percent of myself 110 percent of the time. Not to mention all the sleepless night spent in front of this very computer, churning out story after story after story. Some nights not ever getting to bed. Coffee and chewing gum were what kept me going.

My life has done a 360 with so many changes in just one year that I have run out of fingers and toes in order to count them. Some have been dangerous and destructive choices. Most have been positive, life changing, enlightening changes.

Nonetheless, there have been lessons in each and every one along the way.

Next he spoke of loving what you are doing.

That many times you have to pass up more money and prestige for jobs you really want to do. He advised the graduates to be flexible, independent, and adaptable, seeking skills and not just jobs.

Here I KNEW he was talking to me. When I tried freelancing as a journalist two years ago, I had NO idea where it would take me. I was exposed

to so many new and exciting experiences. I went places and saw things I’d never seen before. I knew pretty quickly that I’d found my calling, my hearts desire. And at ANY cost, I would become a reporter full time. Life took some tough twists and turns but I never let go of my dream. People to this day try to dissuade me or discourage me from continuing. But I refuse to listen. It is my passion. It is my joy. No one will ever take that away from me.

Being optimistic was next on the graduation agenda. Every optimistic person out there believes every tomorrow could be better. The speaker advised everyone to stay positive and the possibilities are endless. Again, although hard at times especially if we are feeling defeated, optimism is the fuel that keeps your engine revving. I was taught the hard way about being an optimist. I was exposed to very negative family members and promised myself I would not be that way. I’ve been the brunt of ruthless gossip, sometimes by the very people I thought I could trust, and that hurts. But through it all, I remember life truly is too short and it is NOT a dress rehearsal. I get one shot at this and one shot only. So, I’m choosing to make mine count.

I’m standing at yet one more crossroad in my life. I’m about to launch a new publication in town and I’ve never done this before. Even if I feel a twinge of concern about its success, all I have to do is look at it again and again and again. And I practically burst with pride. I’m living the dream on this wonderful yet long hard road.

As I step onto the path of the unknown, putting one foot in front of the other, I toss my cap. As high in the air as I can. Goodbye old ways if thinking or being which hold me back. Hello to an even more open mind, a thicker skin, more mature choices and to keeping the friends who care the most about my success. With this recipe, I CAN’T lose!

20 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

Protecting Our Most Precious Resource Water conservation is everyone’s job

By Liana Measmer Photographs by Sandra Giroux

Water, water everywhere, not a drop to spare Water in the ground, water in the air Tho’ it may evaporate, it never goes away Snows onto a mountaintop, flows into a bay Animals need water, people need it too Keep it clean for me and I’ll keep it clean for you.

-Child’s Song, Author Unknown We turn on the faucet for a shower or to brush our teeth. We flush our toilets. We load the washing machine to wash our clothes. We turn on the hose and irrigate our lawns. It’s in our pipes and sinks and pools.

We need it to live since it makes up 60 percent of our body mass. We enjoy lots of recreation that’s near it or by it or on it.

It’s water. And WHAT we have is ALL we have.

It’s all part of the water cycle. Did you know that you possibly could be drinking the same water Napoleon drank? It’s recycled and new water is never made.

That’s why conserving it is more than a good idea; it’s a necessity. We need to make conservation an everyday habit. As our population grows, so does our demand on clean drinking water.

It’s often not apparent to us to conserve, since we live in an area where water is plentiful instead of living in an area of drought. The Town of Billerica is our water supplier but they answer to higher authorities, both on the state and federal levels. The Department of Environmental

Protection issues the town a withdrawal permit, which tells the town how much water it can withdraw from the Concord River, our water source. The Concord River is considered surface water.

According to Department of Public Works Director, Abdul Alkhatib and Water Treatment Superintendent, John McGovern, Billerica uses over 4 million gallons per day. The state and federal authorities want the town to limit how much it uses to 65 gallons RGPCD or residential gallons per capita day. This is what officials try to maintain especially when there are groups that use more water than others. The biggest water users are residents and golf courses.

“The state owns the river and the ground water,” said Alkhatib. “The state owns all the resources.”

In 2007, usage was up to 73.4 gallons per day and in 2008, it dropped to 62.7 gallons. Alkhatib attributes this to an enforced stage II town wide water ban on outdoor water usage, effective from May 1 - October 1.

The ban imposes fines on residents who do not follow the usage allocation schedule allowing odd-numbered houses to water on odd-numbered days and evennumbered houses to water on even-numbered.

Why such a push in the summer for conservation?

Because that is the season the river is at it’s lowest but it’s the season where demand is the greatest. Historically, there is less rain and more evaporation.

Although the number of 62.7 gallons looks low now, it doesn’t mean we don’t need to keep up our

efforts to conserve. When we reduce how much water we draw from the river, we reduce how much water needs to be treated. By reducing how much needs to be treated, we save thousands of dollars annually in our town budget but more importantly, we reduce how much water is wasted.

Often when we think of drinking water, we think of the Water Treatment Facility. The system delivering the water to your faucets is the Water Distribution System. Treated water is delivered through a series of pipes called Water Mains, from the treatment facility to standpipes and then to the service connection at your home or business.

As residents of Billerica, you can expect that water provided to you is safe and healthy since thousands of dollars are spent to treat it first. Each year the town’s Water Division conducts extensive tests as per state and federal requirements. When contaminants are found they are treated by a thorough process.

Some contaminants that the treatment facility scientists are looking for are: *Microbial, which are viruses or bacteria *Inorganic, which are salts or metals *Pesticides or Herbicides *Chemical *Radioactive Billerica has a Water Treatment Plant (BWTP) that is relatively new. It opened on May 18, 2006 and utilizes water pumped over two miles from the river.

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 21

The station consists of three raw water pumps, a fine water screen and multiple valves. Backwash water is used to clean the filters every 24 hours in order to dispose of solids.

“You don’t want to get to the point that even at high flow, you are using all your equipment,” said McGovern.

The water is ozonated in order to remove the brown color. Ozone is stronger than Chlorine, decomposes into oxygen and produces low to no concentrations of any carcinogenic by-products.

The water then slips through a media gravity filter and any residuals are then pumped to the Billerica Wastewater Treatment Facility (BWTF) for disposal. McGovern stated that the BWTP deals with half a million gallons of water per day and is set up for solids and contaminants but not oil spills.

Aside from Ozone, water treatment also requires other chemicals. Those include oxygen, carbon dioxide, aluminum sulfate and ammonia. Potassium hydroxide was replaced by sodium hydroxide due to high costs.

Alkhatib noted the DPW would continue to produce safe drinking water.

“It’s important to understand the impact of chemical purchases,” said Alkhatib. “We can’t use more or less. We have to use what is necessary. You are dealing with people’s lives and safety.”

The DPW is now replacing old underground cast iron piping with ductile piping. Alkhatib noted that most water main breaks happen where cast iron has not been replaced since it is not as forgiving a metal as a ductile pipe is.

The water in our river comes from storm water. Storm water is one of the most difficult sources to keep clean but Billerica utilizes many varied mechanisms to manage this.

Street sweepers pick up sand and winter debris from streets so it won’t be washed into storm drains. Storm drains have catch basins that trap particles and oils, and are cleaned regularly by the Highway Department. Whatever flows down a storm drain will pop up in a body of water some place else.

Cleaning up storm water pollution is something the whole town can participate in.

Some things we can do include: • Never dumping ANYTHING down a storm drain, including pet waste, motor oil, paint, litter, leaves, or sand.

• Unblock refuse or debris from storm drains.

• Use fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides sparingly.

• Do not over-water your lawn in order to prevent run-off.

• Recycle motor oil, antifreeze, tires, and batteries.

• Aim roof downspouts away from paved surfaces or into a rain barrel.

• Coordinate neighborhood storm drain marking activities.

• Start stream teams to help care for neighborhood streams.

At a recent River Blessing which was convened at the Faulkner Mills by interfaith clergy from Billerica and beyond, the group attempted to raise awareness of how fragile our central water resource is. Rev. Dorothy

Emerson of Billerica’s Unitarian Universalist (UUA) church, who spoke to a group of more than 20 observers, called for revitalization of a Stream Team.

Emerson listed the threats to the river as invasive plants, paints, pesticides, and cleaners and stated the Stream Team could assist in cleaning up the river. CREST or Concord River Environmental Stream Team was active but dwindled, and some such activities that CREST engaged in included children and adults alike testing the river water before and after a storm.

through cracks in sewer pipes. You’ve created wastewater. But, what is it and where does it go?

Wastewater is sewage, storm water, and water that has been used for various purposes. If you are like most people, you never give much thought to what happens to the wastewater from your home. However, whether you think about it much or not, wastewater affects our lives even after it disappears down the drain. All of the wastewater generated by our community each day eventually returns to the environment to be used again. Unless it is properly treated,

Jeanne Landers, a member of the UUA church and the Billerica Watchers Group, said she would like to see the town do more to incorporate the river into our lives. Landers recounted how Lowell is developing a Green Way with art work, festivals and benches to make the river a vital part of their community.

Landers called for more protection of wetlands along the banks and compared this to a watershed area.

The Billerica Watcher’s Group is a group of residents from Billerica and surrounding towns who are opposed to the proposed power plant.

Among other environmental issues, they have raised awareness about the impact the proposed power plant will have on the Concord River and our water supply. For additional information about the BWG, visit their website at www.stopthebillericapowerplant.org.

So, you turn on the faucet and then the water runs down your drain. Or you flush it.

Or water in the pipes beneath the ground seep

wastewater can harm public health and the environment.

Once wastewater hits the sewer it travels to one place: The Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Upon its arrival at the treatment plant, the clean up begins. Superintendent Lorraine Sanders monitors 27 pump stations around town and 20 employees at the plant. She explained how the process at the plant works.

Primary treatment helps remove solids. The BWTP has two large racks that separate the solids from the 4 million gallons of water that run through in one day. These solids include such things as rags, sticks, and containers.

From there, the water is pumped to primary clarifiers where solids settle on the bottom and scrapers keep those solids moving. Through constant raking, 60 percent of solids come out.

The water then goes to the aeration tanks next where the bacteria get fed the solids. Three to four hours later, the water moves a secondary clarifier where 70 percent of what settled in

the aeration tank is recycled. This is secondary treatment.

The water moves to tanks where it is disinfected with sodium hypo chloride and final aeration is added prior to sending it back into the river. The entire process takes about six hours.

“When it goes to the river, it has enough oxygen to sustain aquatic life,” said Sanders.

So what happens to all those solids? They go into three tanks-primary sludge, secondary sludge, and blended sludge. Then a press pushes solids through a screen to take out water before the solids go to an incinerator. What remains is a compost product, much like a fertilizer, that is nutrient rich and can be used on lawns. It’s free to residents who want to come and pick it up and has been said to work really well.

The plant used to compost but it became very controversial. The odor was very strong and residents complained. The composting machines were also energy drainers which caused the plant to go to sludge hauling.

The plant has a contract with a company in Woonsocket, Rhode Island that comes and trucks the solids away. Once the water goes back to the river, the whole process begins again.

“It was a housekeeping nightmare,” said Sanders.

So how do we conserve? The town has numerous incentive programs to assist residents in their efforts at conservation. The town is in the process of creating a policy that would require all new development to pay one time conservation fees which in turn would be deposited into the town’s conservation fund.

The money in that fund would be used for: • Public outreach and education about water conservation.

• One time reimbursements/rebates to current residents for installing Energy Star rated toilets, dish washers and clothes washing machines.

New developments are also required to implement water conservation measures like: • Installing Energy Star rated faucets, shower heads, toilets and appliances.

• Maximize use of low water-use plants and minimize the use of lawn areas.

• Equip all irrigation systems with a timer.

Other water conservation items that are available to residents are: • Water conservation kits for showers that have pressure gages to drop into the shower heads.

• Rain cups and barrels that collect storm water for lawn irrigation.

Water conservation is something we can teach children as well. The public schools include water monitoring programming and conservation education. If we all consider this as our job, then we will all reap the benefits in order to see water in our tomorrows-for us and for future generations.

For more information on town wide water conservation programs, visit the DPW office at town hall. You can also call 978-671-0955 or visit their website at www.billericadpw.org.

22 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

3 J’s Corner Top Ten Favorite Things to Do Outside Swings • Jumping on a Trampoline • Ride Bikes Swimming • Monkey Bars • Play Tag • Climbing and Sliding Roller Blading • Kickball • Hanging Upside Down Don’t forget the sunblock, bug spray, and hand sanitizer

Top Ten Rainy Day Activities Making crafts • Having Playdates • Drawing pictures Building obstacle courses for our Gerbils • Baking cookies Family movie night • Reading books • Dance parties Playing our DS’s or Wiis • Playing Barbies or Legos

Five Favorite Indoor Play Spaces Jump on In Lowell, MA • Roller Kingdom Tyngsboro, MA Visit us online at thebillericagreen.com for more FREE coloring pages to download and time coloring. print. Then have a

Chuck E. Cheese’s Burlington, MA

fun-tastic

Chunky’s Nashua, NH • Lazer Craze Bradford, MA

Jarred, 11

summertime Can you find all the words?

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r e a r c a s n e d r a g b

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icecream parties cheeseburger painting surfing baseball sunburn sandcastle hiking camping bicycling beach billericagreen bbq gardens Julia, 7

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 23

Father's Day Gifts 10. A necktie with your face on it.

9. A coffee mug with your face on it.

8. Paint him a rock.

7. Help him with yard work.

6. A coffee in the mug you got him last year with your face on it.

5. Get him his own copy of The Billerica Green.

4. Make him breakfast with a lot of bacon.

3. Make him a card with your face on it.

2. Give him a big hug and say I Love You.

1. Get him tickets to a Red Sox game.

Pine-Berry Summer Smoothie / cup of strawberries / cup of pineapple / cup of milk One 6 oz. vanilla yogurt handful of ice cubes Have adult place all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency.

Welcome to The Playground, the Billerica Green’s monthly children’s page which invites contributions done by children, teens, and young adults about topics that will be interesting to our young people in town.

Do you have a budding artist or author? Send us their work. What are the best snacks to serve for a play date? What are the top five places to hold a birthday party? What are the best books to read? What are your favorite video games or movies, or how do you spend a rainy day? What are your favorite clothing stores or toy stores? What’s the coolest nail polish color or best sport to play?

What about a teen panel that will answer questions sent in by you about topics facing our teens today? How would you handle alcohol, peer pressure, bullies, the first day of high school, asking someone out ?

It will always have a kid friendly look with our new friend Will Achieve and his pet turtle, Cooper. We will attempt to put in as much as we receive.

If you email it to us, and we can’t get it into print, it might show up in our Playground web page.

E-mail submissions to thebillericagreen@yahoo.com

24 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

OUT ON THE TOWN

THE BILLERICA RECREATION DEPARTMENT Youth Sports Events

The Hershey Track and Field Competition will take place at the Marshall Middle School track on Friday, June 12. Participants in this free event must register at 3 pm with competition beginning at 3:30. It features various races and field events for boys and girls ages 9–14.

Information and registration forms are available from the Recreation Department’s web pages off www.town.billerica.ma.us.

The Billerica Recreation Department will be co-sponsoring the Bass Masters Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 13th along with the Yankee Bassmasters at Micozzi Beach off the Middlesex Turnpike. This free event will start at 8 am and end with a lunch for all participants. All youth interested in fishing will need to bring their own equipment though assistance will be available for hooking worms and releasing any fish caught.

The Summer Youth Challenge Golf League for youth ages 9-17 has been scheduled for Tuesdays, July 7-August 11, 2009 at the Billerica Country Club. The range evaluation will take place from 9:45 am - 10:45 am on June 30. Fee: $25.00 registration (check made out to Billerica Recreation) plus $60 greens fees payable directly

to Billerica Country Club. There are no greens fees for Club members. This program is for individuals who are ready to take the next step from lessons to “On the Course” play. Teams of four players will play each week. Shot gun start.

Each player must have their own clubs. Golfers must be registered prior to Range Evaluation Day. Parents are asked to assist during range evaluation and volunteer during competition.

For Adults and Families Two sets of Kayaking classes will be available for Youth ($90 pp), Adults ($90 pp) and Parents with their Preschoolers ($100 per pair). These classes will be held in the afternoons/evenings of July 8, 15 22 or September 3, 10 17.

Adults and Families may also want to consider going White Water Rafting in Maine with the Billerica Recreation Department this summer. This two day trip will bring participants to the Kennebec River August 1–2 for an exciting time on the water. This overnight costs $148 per person. Cost of trip includes overnight stay at the Dead River Lodge, dinner on Saturday, breakfast and BBQ lunch on Sunday, a wet suit if needed and transportation. Some modifications to the trip can be made for youth attending with their parents. Registrations must be received by June 25!

Tennis For Everyone!

Group tennis lessons are available Monday through Thursdays in the summer for Tiny Tots, Youth, Teens and Adults. Instructors from The Next Champions will work with beginner, intermediate and advanced students at the outdoor courts at the Lampson Recreation Complex.

Fees for lessons are: $44 per week (4 classes) for Tiny Tots and Youth morning sessions. Weekly lessons are available either Tuesday or Wednesday evenings for youth and adults at fees of $66 for Youth and $72 for Adults for 6 classes.. Anyone interested can call the Billerica Recreation Office 978-671-0921 for specific information on times and space availability.

Area Sports Events Special ticket and meal packages are still available for Lowell Spinners games of: August 8 vs Batavia Muckdogs and August 22 vs Oneonta Tigers. Both games start at 5:05 PM. Tickets are $15 each and include hotdogs and sodas served at the seats.

Limited tickets are available for Paw Sox games of June 27vs Syracuse Chiefs (6:05 PM

Game - Section 1) and July 26 vs Columbus Clippers (1:05 PM Game - Section 6). Tickets are $12 each.

Available NE Revolution games are on May 30 vs. DC United (7:30 PM start), August 23 vs.

Real Salt Lake (6:00 PM start) and October 17 vs.

Chicago Fire (6:00 PM start). All tickets are $22, a real discount from the $30 regular price!

For more information on these and other Billerica Recreation events and activities, call: 978-671-0921; e-mail: billrec2@town.billerica. ma.us or visit: wwww.town.bilerica.ma.us (click on Recreation Department). The Billerica Recreation Department is located at 248 Boston Road.

THE BILLERICA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Clara Sexton Memorial Home at 36 Concord Road will be open for visitors on the first Sunday of each month from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. We will be open during the summer through the month of October.

For more information call 978-667-7020 or visit our website www.billericahistorical.com

THE BILLERICA PUBLIC LIBRARY

Children's Summer Programming “Hey! Let’s Play!”

Playground Safety Program Friday, June 12 at 3:30pm.

For ages 2 - 12. Registration Required! Online registration starts Monday, May 18 at 9:00 a.m.

Join Billerica resident and Town Playground Coordinator, Sandy Libby, as she presents her newly published book on safety at the playground!

Sandy will read her book ‘Hey! Let’s Play!’ and talk about how to have fun safely at the playground.

Her book will be on sale after the program for $12.00, with a portion going to the town playgrounds.

Summer Reading Kick off Night Monday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m.

“Eggbert & Ice” performed by Mad Science of Boston. No registration required! Best suited for ages 3 1/2 and up!

“The Scoop on Poop”

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 25 Town Happenings continued

Thursday, July 2 at 6:30 p.m. presented by Animal World Experience. For ages 4 and up! Registration Required! Online registration starts Tuesday, June 23 at 9:00 a.m.

Funded by a Community Grant “Rosalita and the Giant Bugs” A Puppet Show by Rosalita’s Puppets Thursday, July 9th at 10:00 a.m.

For all ages! Registration Required! Online registration starts Tuesday, June 23 at 9:00 a.m.

Funded by a Community Grant “Animals Galore “ An animal show presented by Curious Creatures Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m.

For ages 1-99 Registration Required! Online registration starts Monday, June 29 at 9:00 a.m.

Funded by a Community Grant Bandito Bingo Monday, July 20th at 2:00 p.m.

For grades 2-4 only! Kids, come join us and have some fun! You must bring a regular-sized candy bar to receive you bingo card. Limit: 1-3 bars/cards per person! You could win plenty of candy! Registration required! Online registration starts Monday, June 29 at 9:00 a.m. Funded by a Community Grant “Wildly Silly Stories” Presented by Susie Magoozy Wednesday, July 22nd at 10:00 a.m.

For all ages! Registration Required! Register online! Funded by a Community Grant Tie Dyeing Day Friday, July 24th 11:00-1:00 p.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m. No Registration Required! Bring your own white t-shirts, socks, etc.

“Leopard Learns A Lesson” A Puppet Show by Magpie Puppets Monday, July 27th at 10:30 a.m.

For ages 3 and up! Registration Required! Online registration starts Monday, July 6 at 9:00 a.m.

Funded by a Community Grant

July 13, 2:00 Bonaparte! Boston’s Hottest Magician Come and be mesmerized by this “sizzling” magic show. Registration required starting June 23 July 22, 6:30 Rock Of Ages – Pet Rock Decorating What’s a caveman to do this summer? Come in and decorate a rock or two. They make great pets and don’t make a mess on the rug. Registration required starting June 23 July 29, 6:30 Archaeology Outreach Why do we know, what we know about the past?

I’m not telling. You have to come to the program to find out. Registration required starting June 23 August 12, 6:00 “Dig In” and Eat Junk Food Party End of the summer party. You eat, I’ll raffle off the prizes donated by area business. Come dressed as a caveman and get tickets to win prizes. Registration required starting July 13th. Some restrictions.

2ND ANNUAL DITSON SCHOOL YARD SALE

Multi Family Event Rent a space to sell your goods or drop by and shop for treasures, either way come and enjoy the day! There will be a mix of items including; household goods, furniture, collectibles, children’s clothing, toys, games and more!

When: Saturday, June 20th, 2009 (rain date 6/21) Time: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Where: Ditson School Teacher’s Parking Area 39 Cook Street, Billerica, MA If you are interested in renting a space to sell your items, please contact Elaine Tuccelli 978439-9925. Single Space (10’ length) is $25.00, Double Space (20’ length) is $40.00. Proceeds from the rental space will go to support the Scholarship Fund.

Mexican Fiesta Friday, July 31st 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

For ages 3-7 Registration Required! Online registrations starts Tuesday, July 14 at 9:00 a.m.

BILLERICA FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

“Wild West Magic Show” Presented by Magician Steve Rudolph Monday, August 3rd at 6:30 p.m. For ages 4-10 Registration Required! Online registration starts Monday, July 13 at 9:00 a.m. Funded by a Community Grant

June 22, 2009 Season Opens

“Animals in My Yard" Friday, August 7 at 10:30 a.m.

An animal show presented by Animal World Experience. For all ages! Registration Required!

Online registration starts Monday, July 13 at 9:00 a.m. Funded by a Community Grant Ice Cream Sundae Night Tuesday, August 11 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Sponsored by The Family Friends of the Billerica Public Library

Young Adult Summer Programming Fun Things to do this Summer at the Library July 1, 6:30pm Unga Bunga Bingo. Play a caveman themed candy bar bingo. Registration required starting June 23 July 8, 6:30 Animal World Experience. Learn about animals.

Registration required starting June 23

REGISTRATION REMAINS OPEN FOR 12U AND 14U- SIGN UP BY CALLING/ EMAILING COLIN BRACE. We are an organization set up to provide a safe learning environment for local girls who want to play softball. Our goal is to foster a structured learning atmosphere combined with a “love for the game” attitude. Our coaches and assistants are dedicated men and women whose love for the sport keeps bringing them back to share their skills and teamwork ethic with each player on their teams.

Is your daughter new to the sport? Is she intrigued by the game and interested to see if softball is her sport? GREAT! We specialize in fostering sportsmanship, teamwork and fundamentals of softball. Your daughter will begin her softball experience in the hands of caring adults who want to give each player a chance to grow and thrive with supervision. Our coaching staff is knowledgeable and will ensure a positive playing experience not only for new players but for their returning players as well.

Is your daughter a returning player? Is she a player wanting to try a new field position or

26 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

K a r r i e S t a n g ’s

“Gotta Dance” Brick Kiln Plaza (Rte. 3 Exit 29) | 99 Chelmsford Rd. #3 | N. Billerica, Ma 01862

CELEBRATING OUR NEW LOCATION!!!

Ballet • Hip Hop • Jazz • Lyrical • Musical Theater Pointe • Tap • Urban Hip Hop • Zumba • Adult Classes • Performing • Companies • Ages 2.5 Wedding Dances • Birthday Parties

(978)671-0400 www.ksgottadance.com

Town Happenings continued

expand on her knowledge of a position she played last year? Awesome! We look forward to seeing her at tryouts. Remember every girl who tries out is placed on a team and NO ONE is left out.

We have 4 divisions that play in the Middle Essex League, each division has an “a” and “b” subdivision. Currently we have 10U, 12U, 14U and 18U divisional teams. We are also very hopeful about the addition of a 23U division this year. Girls who have graduated and want to continue summer play are encouraged to register.

All our divisional teams play in the Middle Essex League which means our teams travel to local towns that have teams in the league and we host games on our Billerica fields as well. All Middle Essex League games are played during the week.

Registration remains open for 12U and 14Usign up at tryouts or contact President Colin Brace by phone or email.

We encourage you to come to meetings and give us your input. We value opinion of parents and players. We are dedicated to providing an atmosphere of fun and leaning, the more input we have the better we are able to fulfill our goal.

The board meets every third (3rd) Wednesday of every month at the Billerica Town Hall.

FALL CHILD CARE ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS The Billerica Boys and Girls Club are now taking registrations for their fall child care programs including Early Bird, Kindergarten and Fun Clubs. All three programs are offered in collaboration with the Billerica public schools.

The Early Bird program takes place every morning (Monday-Friday) from 6:30 AM until school bus pickup, at the Boys and Girls Club on 19 Campbell Road. The program is ideal for working parents who need to have their children safely and constructively supervised before school begins each day. School buses pick the kids up and take them to their respective elementary schools.

The Kindergarten program offers child care for the half of the day that your child is not in school Kindergarten. Again, transportation is provided and the children receive educational and social development programs at the club.

Fun Clubs operate at all six elementary schools from immediately after dismissal until 6pm.

Children report to the school cafeteria, where the Fun Clubs operate, are checked in, and participate in homework assistance, gym games and small group educational and recreational activities until picked up by their parent or guardian.

To register or get more information go to the clubs web site billericabgc.com or call 978-6672193 ext. 103.

The Boys and Girls Club is The Positive Place for Kids!

THE COUNCIL ON AGING Summer Programming June 17 at 10:30 am Medicare Health Plan Options. A representative from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MA will explain Medicare, including a new Medicare prescription benefit.

June 19 at 8 pm GET ON BOARD Bus trip to the Boston Pops, show starts at 8 pm. $71/per person June 21 Grill raffle drawing June 22 at 10:00 am Coffee with Donna Come socialize and check in with COA Director Donna Popkin.

June 22-25 Rec Department DC Tour/Red Sox at Nationals $499/ per person Call 978-671-0921 June 23-25 RECYCLED TEENAGER TRIPS to Poland Springs $219/per person June 25 at 10 am Free History Lecture. Come to the free lecture about the various Flags of our Country and how they came into existence.

June 26 at 11-1:30 BBQ at the Elks. The Billerica firefighters will host a Western theme BBQ at the Elks for Billerica seniors. Entertainment provided by Greg Curtis, who is funded in part by a grant from the Billerica Cultural Council.

June 30 at 12:30 Book Club. The book club is meeting with Paul Hogman to discuss “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

July 14 Divine Comedy Show and lunch. $71/per person.

Call Recycled Teenager Trips 978-663-6047 July 27, 29 and Aug. at 12 9:30-11:30 am Yesterday and Today: 3rd Annual Intergenerational Program Sharing Stories, Making Friends Aug. 2 The Jersey Boys $105/per person. Schubert Theater, performance starts at 2 pm. Call Get on Board at 978-671-0916 Yesterday and Today: Third Annual Intergenerational Program This is an opportunity for Billerica teens to be paired off with a senior to share stories from childhood. The Recreation Dept Teenage Campers will be at the COA on July 27, July 28, and August 12 from 9:30-11:30 to share and compare what its like growing up today vs. growing up when seniors were children. Based on interviews

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 27

and conversations, a commemorative memory booklet will be prepared and presented to each participant during the celebration and conclusion of the program. Sign up at the front desk or, for more information, contact Lauren Gray at the COA, either by phone 978-671-0916x 226 or by email at lgray@town.billerica.ma.us.

PAL EVENTS

GOLF TOURNAMENT Friday, August 14

Announcing Open Sign-Ups for PAL Summer & Fall events!

Reserve your slot now!

Baseball starts July 7th. Basketball starts July 22nd. Fill out the online form at www.billericapal. org and select the sports you want to register for. Make check payable to “Billerica PAL” with the appropriate fees. Mail everything to Billerica PAL, PO Box 21, Billerica, MA 01821 PAL Annual Family Membership Program Announcing the new PAL Annual Family Membership for only $60. This entitles your children to a years worth of PAL Activities.

Registration for individual events is still required to reserve your slot. This includes Baseball, Basketball, Open Gyms, Stick ball, Flag Football, Street Hockey and others. This doesn’t include Floor Hockey which is run by Billerica Recreation Department. Spend your Summer and Fall with Billerica PAL.Register Now! Police Athletic League Fall Programs Flag Football Marshall Middle School Saturday Mornings Beginning September 12th Boys and Girls 2nd - 8th grade Street Hockey Marshall Middle School (Outside rink) Saturday Afternoons Beginning September 12th Boys and Girls 2nd through 8th grade Floor Hockey Sheriffs Office (Old Ditson) Saturday Mornings, Indoor Start TBA Boys and Girls 2nd through 8th grade Ski Program Wachusetts Ski Area Friday Evenings for six weeks Beginning January 9th Boys and Girls 6th through 12th grade Open Gym Sheriffs Office (Old Ditson) Tues - Girls 2nd through 8th grades

Wed - Special needs coed Thurs - Boys 2nd through 8th grades Starting week of Sept 28th Please call the Billerica Recreation Department for sign ups @ (978) 671-0921

Boys and Girls Club of Billerica Annual Tournament-Friday, August 14 at 8 am at the Country Club of Billerica. All funds raised will be used to provide financial aid to deserving families for the club’s child care programs. Cost is $110 per golfer, $400 foursome. Call 978-667-2193 x102 or visit our web site billericabgc.com to register.

THE SONS OF ITALY We meet to celebrate Italian heritage and culture. Our meetings are generally held the 4th Wednesday of the month at the Masonic Lodge in Billerica Center at 7pm. In November and December, meetings are held the third Wednesday due to the holidays. Every Sunday at 10:30 am, Frank Caruso of 10 Carmel Drive hosts bocce practices and games at his home. A junior lodge of the Sons of Italy is in the works and will be open to all young people between the ages of 10 and 18. Installations/Inductions are generally scheduled during the month of October.

Our next meetings and events are as follows: 6/24: Monthly meeting 7/22: Annual steak cookout at Masonic Lodge - pricing TBA 8/26: (Date to be confirmed based on location availability) Annual lobster luau at Billerica Elks Pavilion - pricing TBA 8/31: Billerica night at the Lowell Spinners 9/12: Sausage cart at Yankee Doodle 9/23: Monthly meeting 10/28: Monthly meeting For additional information, contact Secretary, Joan Parcewski at 978-376-3978.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL

CHURCH

July 8th to the end of August Wednesday morning communion services are moved to Wednesday Evening Communion Services 7:30 pm. Wednesday morning services at 7 am start again in September and run until the end of June.

The Billerica Green & thebillericagreen.com Ask about our

PRINT & WEB Advertising Packages Call Liana Measmer at 978-808-2361

28 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009

NOTES FROM GENERAL SOUND

By Todd D. DellaPorta Wow, so now I’m a columnist! Well then, a big giant Billerica Green Hello from Todd D. DellaPorta of General Sound!

Many of you know me as Mr. DJ, DJ Todd or of course DJ Guy. (For those of you who call out to me around town, Thanks! I love it, no matter what title you use.) It is an honor to be your DJ especially at the awesome Boys and Girls Club where I have been playing the elementary dances for 7 years now! I love the boys and girls in this town and I promise to always do my best to entertain them with upbeat, current and clean versions of their favorite pop tunes. (That part of it is a different topic for another issue!)

In the words of Ren McCormack, the main character of the Broadway musical, Footloose; “Ever since the dawn of time When folks were tribal Back before the bible Just like that In nothin’ flat They would dance” It’s true. Since the very beginning man has wanted to kick up his heels and dance. One of our primal urges is to create, and since the first wheel was carved from a piece of mountain rock, we have been using not only tools but also our hands, instruments and voices! Grunts turned to chants, chants turned to songs, songs turned to rap and rap of course is a series of chants and grunts. I call it the circle of music and now I have to write about it.

So, what will I write? Hmm. Good question.

Let me start by setting the foundation.

1. My column will always be honest and clean. (Just because my subject matter can often be vile and offensive doesn’t mean my column has to be.)

2. My column will be loosely focused on the entertainment industry and/or music in general.

This will include news in the industry, trends, fads and general goings on in the lives of the entertainers who are paid way too much for doing something they love.

3. One of my features will be the top 20 pop songs on the radio that month. (Parents, this is a good tool for you to know what your children are listening to.) Wouldn’t it be great to walk by your 14 year old daughter and her friends singing the chorus to “Blame it” by Jamie Foxx!

4. I will also have a feature called “Playback” where you can send me an email with a question or comment about the entertainment industry and/or something you read in my column. The best emails will be in the next month’s column where I will discuss and respond to them! Don’t be shy! Don’t be gentle. I can handle it.

5. I will list any musical happenings going on in our great town so be sure to let me know what you’re up to!

So, let’s talk hits, ok? Here is the top 20 as of May 1, 2009. Before we start, which song do you think is at #1? Want a hint? The artist who currently has the number one spot also holds the number 20 spot with her hit, “Just Dance”. You guessed it, it’s Lady Gaga and her song at #1 is called Poker Face. During her Fame Ball tour performance at Palm Springs on Saturday 11th

Rank

Title

Artist

My Opinion

#1

Poker Face

Lady Gaga

Love It But Enough Already!

#2

Boom Boom Pow

Black Eyed Peas

I Like It. Needs More Play.

#3

Right Round

Flo Rida F/ Kesha

I Like It.

#4

Gives You Hell

All American Rejects

I Like It.

#5

Kiss Me Thru The Phone

Soulja Boy Tell’em F/ Sammie

Love It But Enough Already!

#6

My Life Would Suck Without You

Kelly Clarkson

I Like It.

#7

How Do You Sleep?

Jesse Mccartney F/ Ludacris

Just Ok For Me Dawg.

#8

Dead And Gone

T.i. F/ Justin Timberlake

I Like It.

#9

Blame It

Jamie Foxx F/ T-pain

Love It But Enough Already!

#10

If U Seek Amy

Britney Spears

I Like It. Needs More Play.

#11

Second Chance

Shinedown

Just Ok For Me Dawg.

#12

You Found Me

Fray

Just Ok For Me Dawg.

#13

Halo

Beyonce

I Like It. Needs More Play.

#14

Don’t Trust Me

3oh!3

I Like It.

#15

The Climb

Miley Cyrus

I Like It. Needs More Play.

#16

Day ‘N’ Nite

Kid Cudi

I Like It. Needs More Play.

#17

I Do Not Hook Up

Kelly Clarkson

Just Ok For Me Dawg.

#18

Sugar

Flo Rida F/ Wynter

Love It But Enough Already!

#19

Sober

Pink

Just Ok For Me Dawg.

#20

Just Dance

Lady Gaga F/ Colby O’donis

Love It But Enough Already!

of April, Gaga explained to the crowd the true meaning behind the term “Poker Face” used in the song. She suggested that the song is about her personal experience with her own “intimate thoughts”. The idea behind the song was to be with a man who has no idea what is going through her mind. Now on with the list! (See chart.)

Keep your eye out for the elementary dances at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. They are well run, safe and youth-friendly and all of the money generated helps support the awesome programs that the club offers. The dances run during the school year typically on the second Friday of each month. Oh, and don’t forget, all students who attend the dance must remember to bring any school papers that received a grade of “100%”.

They all go in a drawing for a $10.00 cash prize!

So get those 100s and bring them by for your chance to win!

The other event in Billerica that you cannot miss is the Relay for Life Cancer walk on June 13th and 14th at Lampson field. This event is something that I have been a part of for 6 years now and if you have never attended, please do so and prepare to be blown away. Nowhere is there

a greater assembly of good people all focused on simply doing a great thing. It’s an all night party for all the right reasons and it would be great to see everyone there!

I guess that’s all for this month. Please don’t forget to drop me a line at thebillericagreen@ yahoo.com to submit a question or comment for my “playback” section. You could see your own words right here in the next issue! Also, be sure to let me know about any plays, musicals and or concerts happening in Billerica.

I hope you enjoyed my first column and I hope you all keep music in your life!

All my Best, – DJ Todd Todd DellaPorta, is the owner of General Sound Entertainment, and has been providing clean, upbeat entertainment for the people of Billerica for almost two decades!

To inquire about quality entertainment, videography or photography for your next event he can be reached at 508-572-6880, on the web at www.generalsound. com, or by email at info@generalsound.com.

Summer 2009 \ thebillericagreen.com \ 29

KIM WILLMOTT PHOTO

REAL ESTATE NEWS Existing-Home Sales Rise in April Existing-home sales rose in April with strong buyer activity in lower price ranges, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Existing-home sales – including singlefamily, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – increased 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 4.68 million units in April from a downwardly revised pace of 4.55 million units in March, but were 3.5 percent below the 4.85 million-unit level in April 2008.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said first-time buyers continue to influence the market but there also is a seasonal rise of repeat buyers.

“Most of the sales are taking place in lower price ranges and activity is beginning to pick up in the midprice ranges, but high-end home sales remain sluggish,” he said. “The Federal Reserve needs to help restore liquidity for the jumbo mortgage market by buying these loans under the TALF program.”

“Because foreclosed properties will likely be released into the market over the rest of year, it is critical that distressed homes be quickly cleared from the market,” Yun said. “Fortunately, home buyers are being attracted to deeply discounted prices and are bidding up many foreclosed listings, particularly in California, Nevada, and Florida – this will set the stage for healthy market conditions going forward.”

An NAR practitioner survey in April showed first-time buyers declined to 40 percent of transactions, implying more repeat buyers are entering the traditional spring home-buying season. It also showed the number of buyers looking at homes has increased 14 percentage points from a year ago. “This is consistent with our forecast for home sales in the latter part of the year to be 10 to 20 percent higher than the second half of 2008,” Yun said.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $170,200 in April, which is 15.4 percent below 2008. Distressed properties, which accounted for 45 percent of all sales in April, continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes.

NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth, said conditions are optimal for buyers with good jobs and long-term plans.

“We have record low mortgage interest rates, a wide selection of homes and affordable prices in most areas,” he said. “When you add the $8,000

first-time buyer tax credit, it’s hard to imagine a better time to make an investment in your future through homeownership.”

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.81 percent in April from 5.00 percent in March; the rate was 5.92 percent in April 2008; data collection began in 1971.

Total housing inventory at the end of April rose 8.8 percent to 3.97 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 10.2.-month supply3 at the current sales pace, compared with a 9.6-month supply in March. “The gain in inventory is largely seasonal from sellers entering the spring market. Even with the rise, inventory over the past few months has remained consistently lower in comparison with a year earlier,” Yun noted.

Single-family home sales rose 2.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.18 million in April from a level of 4.08 million in March, but are 2.8 percent below the 4.30 million-unit pace in March 2008. The median existing single-family home price was $169,800 in April, which is 14.9 percent below a year ago.

Existing condominium and co-op sales increased 6.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 500,000 units in April from 470,000 in March, but are 9.4 percent lower than the 552,000-unit pace a year ago. The median existing condo price4 was $173,900 in April, down 18.5 percent from April 2008.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast jumped 11.6 percent to an annual pace of 770,000 in April, but are 10.5 percent below April 2008. The median price in the Northeast was $237,400, which is 9.6 percent lower than a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest slipped 2.0 percent in April to a level of 1.00 million and are 9.9 percent lower than a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $138,800, down 11.7 percent from April 2008.

In the South, existing-home sales increased 1.8 percent to an annual pace of 1.74 million in April but are 8.9 percent lower than April 2008.

The median price in the South was $148,000, which is 12.8 percent below a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the West rose 3.5 percent to an annual rate of 1.17 million in April and are 19.4 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the West was $222,600, down 21.8 percent from April 2008.

Sources: National Association of Realtors, Washington

30 / thebillericagreen.com / Summer 2009