SENIORS ARTS & ENT. COMMUNITY SPORTS

Season’s cheerarrives in Monson

Fiber arts prizewinners named

Stage set forAlzheimers

Award passesto Lombardi

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A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com November 29, 2018 ❙ Vol. CLXVIII, No. 44 ❙ $1.00 www.journalregister.turley.com

The Journal RegisterS E R V I N G P A L M E R , M O N S O N , B R I M F I E L D , H O L L A N D & W A L E S

PLANNING

Care package drive comes to a close

By Wyatt AloisioStaff Writer

MONSON — A crowd of dedicated volunteers including friends and family of Monson resi-dents currently serving in the U.S. military packed into the Monson Polish American Club on Bliss Street Friday evening, ready to box up the results of their weeks-long charitable effort.

Rounding up a collection of donated goods including food items, toiletries, games and activi-

ties, and other gift items the family members of the 32 recipients lined up and gathered together two box-es worth of the supplies to send on their way across the globe.

While each of the boxes may have contained similar items, no two were the same. Personalized letters of love and support, photo-graphs, and decorations adorned the packages and ensured that the holiday spirit and a little piece of home was soon on its way .

“This is our fourth year of hosting the Military Care Package Drive,” said coordinator Karen King. “It is such a special night and we’re here to show support for our 32 active military, six wom-

en and 26 men, who are currently serving.”

The packages would be mailed the following day, courte-sy of postage paid for by Monson Savings Bank, to 18 states and four countries including Japan, Great Britain, Germany and Afghanistan.

King said the boxes not only provided aid and relief to those that they were addressed to but also to the members of their unit who often times shared in the use of the items.

Partnering with the coordi-nators of the drive this year were the members of Monson American Legion Post 241, dozens of local business contributors who donated

items and hosted drop-off boxes, the Monson Public Schools, local churches and clergy, and more.

IGA Adams Hometown Su-permarket hosted a round-up campaign as well where shoppers could contribute a portion of their payment at check out towards the effort. Red and yellow tee shirts were made this year embossed with the phrase, “you can leave your home town, but your home town will never leave you.”

“We have a lot to be thank-ful for from the people who have helped us,” said King.

King said that the postage

Home from homeaway

Turley Publications staff photo by Wyatt Aloisio

Boxes sent to military personnel contain donated supplies including food items, toiletries, entertainment, and personalized letters and photos from family members.

Rail advocates, town differ on approach

By Douglas FarmerStaff Writer

PALMER — Town officials and those lobbying for the return of pas-senger rail service to Palmer may be following the same track, but are looking to throw the switch at differ-ent points along the way.

A steering committee is expect-ed to be appointed by the Palmer

Town Council next month to both read the signals of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation as it examines the potential for east-west rail and plot out where the next stops will be in the effort to reestablish a Palmer station. The former Union Station, located near the diamond, is run as the Steaming Tender Restau-rant by Blake and Robin Lamothe and is one of several sites advocates say they are considering.

Representatives of Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop have argued for the need for a comprehensive

plan to examine the downtown and how it might evolve with the re-turn of passenger rail. But Palmer Town Manager Charles Blanchard, members of the Palmer Town Council and others are indicating they want to see what direction the state takes before investing sub-stantial resources in such a study. Councilors discussed the matter last week with Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop members Ben Hood and Anne Miller, along with Palmer Town Planner Linda Leduc and Commu-nity Development Director Sarah

Szczebak.At the Monday, Nov. 19 meet-

ing of the council, Hood and Miller said that a full transit-oriented devel-opment plan needed to be developed, to expand upon the largely concep-tual plan developed by the firm Fuss & O’Neill on behalf of the Palmer Redevelopment Authority. Hood said that plan elevated Palmer’s sta-tus as the location of a potential stop but more initiative was needed at the local level to impress upon the state the strong desire on the part of offi-

Thinking down the line

MARIJUANA COLLECTION

PalmerHighprepares for blood drives

Events plannedDec. 4 and 29By Wyatt Aloisio

Staff Writer

PALMER — During the popu-lar Palmer High School Blood Drive each year, students work alongside coordinators to not only collect valuable stores of blood for use by the American Red Cross but to also pay their respect to a local commu-nity member. This is a person who has in some way or another been impacted through the use of a blood donation or transfusion.

The first two planned Blood Bank events of they year will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at the high school, at 4105 Main St. in Thorn-dike, and on Saturday, Dec. 29 at

Turley Publications file photo

Students give of themselves as do-nors and as volunteers in the PHS Blood Drive.

BLOOD ❙ page 2

PHCC holds Tree & Wreath Fest

By Douglas FarmerStaff Writer

THREE RIVERS — The Tree & Wreath Festival has grown into a veritable artificial tree farm, nur-tured by the generosity of the com-munity and the dedication of those who help coordinate it every year.

This year, the event at the Palmer Historical & Cultural Cen-ter, 2072 Main St., Three Rivers, is once again co-chaired by PHCC Board of Directors members Don-

na Collette and Liissa Carroll, and is supported by a number of volun-teers. It will feature about 40 trees – donated and decorated by nu-merous individuals, businesses and organizations – as well as about a dozen wreaths.

All of these will be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the PHCC, and raffle tickets cost one for $1 or eight for $5.

The event will run for two suc-cessive weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 1 and 2, and 8 and 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. As always, attendees can purchase a ceramic ornament to memorialize a family member or friend on the “Loved

Ones Tree.” A collection of new, unwrapped toys will be held for the Palmer Lions Club.

Collette said that fellow PHCC board member Donna Lee Honey-well coordinates the entertainment throughout the festival, which will include not only individual per-formers with whom Honeywell is familiar, but school choruses the second weekend, as well.

“This event just keeps grow-ing, which is good because it’s our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Col-lette said. “I attended two Chamber events this year and got several new trees out of that, and we also have different themed trees such as a ‘Dr.

Seussical Tree’ and a ‘Tea Party Tree,’ as well as donations for our gift-giving tree from businesses like Hanna Devines and Michael’s Party Rental, and Old Sturbridge Village and Westfield Bank.”

While parents enjoy the music

Turley Publications file photo

Jonas Clark Toutant, of Ware, hangs an ornament in memory of his late grandfather, Johnny, on the “loved one tree” during last years Christ-mas Tree & Wreath Festival held at the Palmer Historical & Cultural Center.

SEASONAL

Seeing the forest for the giving

PHCC ❙ page 13

CARE ❙ page 6

Hostagreement withAltitude to be signedCovers payments over several years

By Douglas FarmerStaff Writer

PALMER — The Palmer Town Council has voted to approve a host community agreement with Altitude Organic Corporation to lay out terms and payments related to both medi-cal and recreation marijuana sale and production in the town of Palmer.

The vote took place at the coun-cil’s Monday, Nov. 19 meeting, and the agreement was to be signed by Palmer Town Manager Charles Blanchard and Aaron Bluse, chief executive officer of Altitude Organ-ic, pending legal counsel.

According to the agreement’s terms, the company committed to providing the town with 3 percent of the gross sales of the medical mari-juana treatment operation on Cham-ber Road in Three Rivers and the same percentage at the recreational marijuana retail operation on Thorn-dike Street in Palmer. In addition, should all licenses be obtained, the company also agrees to make pay-ments of 1.5 percent of wholesale sales of medical and recreational marijuana

This is contingent on approval of the operation by relevant state agencies, although both sites have been permitted by the town. More than 30,000 square feet of green-house space is planned adjacent to the Chamber Road site.

“The town understands and ac-knowledges that the payments due pursuant to this agreement are con-tingent upon the company’s receipt of all state and local approvals to operate the medical marijuana treat-ment center or the licensed marijua-na establishment at the sites,” the language reads. “In the event that the company is only able to obtain state and local approvals for the op-eration of the MMTC but not the LME, the town acknowledges and agrees that the payments due under this agreement shall be solely based on the company’s gross sales and gross wholesale sales of the MMTC at the Chamber Road site. In the event that the company is only able to obtain state and local approvals for the operation of the LME but not the MMTC, the town acknowledges and agrees that the payments due under this agreement shall be solely based on the company’s gross sales of the LME at the Thorndike Street site and wholesale sales of the LME at the Chamber Road site.”

ALTITUDE ❙ page 13

TRACK ❙ page 15

Turley Publications staff photo by Douglas Farmer

While freight trains pass through town regularly, advocates hope for the re-turn of passenger rail service to the town of Palmer.

November 29, 2018 ❙ THE JOURNAL REGISTER PAGE 9

FOOTBALL THANKSGIVING GAME

SPORTSacebook.com/turleysports@turleysportssports@turley.com

A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com SEND US YOUR SPORTS SUBMISSIONS www.sports.turley.com

By Tim PetersonSports Correspondent

PALMER — One of the high-lights of the 71st Thanksgiving Day meeting between Ludlow and Palm-er was the announcement of the 50th annual Leonard J. Bailey Award winner. The award is given to a cur-rent member of the Palmer football team by the previous year’s winner.

Kyle Mastalerz, who’s a fresh-man at UMass, presented this year’s Bailey Award trophy to senior cap-tain Joe Lombardi during a ceremo-ny held at halftime.

“Winning the Bailey Award is very special to me,” said Lombardi following the game. “Several of my uncles and my cousin have won the Bailey Award in the past. It feels very nice to carry on the family tradition.”

Lombardi’s grandmother, Rocky Blazejowski, is a member of the Leonard J. Bailey Memorial Committee, along with David Rus-so, Ann Duke, Bob Chase, and Jim St. Amand.

Three of Lombardi’s uncles won the prestigious award from 1984 to 1990.

Paul Blazejowski was the 1984 Bailey Award winner, Joe Blaze-jowski won the award three years later, and Craig Blazejowski was the 1990 winner. Lombardi’s cous-in, Michael Blazejowski, who was a sophomore member of the Spring-field College football team this past fall, was selected as the Bailey Award winner in 2016.

“I have a lot of very good memories playing on the same high school football team with Mikey,” Lombardi said. “We made it to the Western Mass. finals when I was a sophomore.”

Lombardi, a four year member of the Panthers football team, didn’t

know that he had been selected as this year’s Bailey Award winner un-til the public address announcer told the crowd.

“I was very surprised when they announced my name,” Lombardi said. “It could’ve gone to any one of my teammates because all of them work just as hard as I do.”

The award recipient must pos-sess the qualities of sportsmanship, ability, team spirit, attitude, selfless-ness, and academic achievement. Any player on the football team is eligible to receive the award, not just a member of the senior class.

Lombardi, who’s a halfback on offense, rushed for a total of 100 yards on 19 carries this season and scored three touchdowns. He also had 28 receptions for 227 yards and two touchdowns. He was a lineback-er on defense and handled all of the kicking duties.

Lombardi and Mastalerz were teammates on the Palmer Cowboys and on the varsity football team for a couple of years.

“Joe and I began playing foot-ball together since when we were little kids,” Mastalerz said. “I’ve watched him progress as a football player and he deserves to receive this year’s Bailey Award as much as anyone on this year’s team. It was an honor to be a part of the 50th anni-versary of this award.”

Lombardi, who’s a high honors student in the classroom, is also a member of the Panthers boys’ var-sity basketball and baseball teams. Kyle Higney is the Panthers boys’ varsity basketball coach,

Peter Farr coaches Panthers football and baseball teams.

When Lombardi was a fresh-man, the Palmer football team fin-

Panthers shut down for second straight holiday loss

By Tim PetersonSports Correspondent

PALMER—The Ludlow foot-ball team entered the 71st meeting against rival Palmer on Thanksgiv-ing looking to tie the school record for victories in a season.

Led by senior running back Jer-emy Garcia, sophomore quarterback Chris Fogg, and a stealth defense, the Lions got the job done by roll-ing to a 39-0 shutout victory over the Panthers at frigid Legion Field in Palmer, last Thursday morning

“We just wanted to come here and finish our season the right way,” said Ray Saloio, who now has a 4-1 record as the Lions varsity football coach on Thanksgiving morning. “We were able to win eight games and it was a very good season for us, but it’s just the beginning of what we’re trying to build.”

The Lions, who qualified for the Western Mass. Division 5 playoffs, completed the 2018 campaign with an 8-3 overall record. The 2003 and 2004 squads also finished with the same exact record, while the 1998 squad went 8-2. Those three teams were coached by Carl Ericksberg.

Ludlow, who posted back-to-back shutouts against Palmer for the first time, has a 38-30-3 overall lead in the series, which began in 1947. The Lions have also defeated the

Photo by Jack Cascio NEAP.smugmug.com

Joe Lombardi receives the Bailey Award at halftime on Thanksgiving morn-ing. He was joined by family and members of Bailey Award Committee.

Lombardi takes Bailey Award for Panthers

MONSON – Though it qualified through the 70-percent rule, the Monson High School boys soccer team had an up-ward climb in the Western Massachusetts Division 4 tournament, and lost on the road in the first round earlier this month against Westfield Technical Academy 1-0.

Mustangs fall in tourney to Westfield Tech

Justin Foulks dribbles up the field pursued by a Westfield Tech defender.

Jadon Messina directs traffic as he prepares for a free kick.

Samuel Malo makes a

quick pass. Jason Angelica heads for the sideline pursued by an opponent.

Photo by Lisa Thomas-Dufresne

Tyler Placanico eyes his downfield options. 

Photos by Jack Cascio NEAP.smugmug.com

Jeff Pardo tries to break away from the Ludlow defense.

Joe Lombardi gets set to

catch a pass.

By Bob SchronSports Correspondent

BELCHERTOWN – With its dominant 46-6 victory over Pathfind-er on Thanksgiving morning at the High School, Belchertown capped off an ardent comeback year.  Cam Daskin scored four touchdowns and Joey Douillard ran for 124 yards. The Orioles finished 7-4. They had a fighting chance to qualify for the

Western Mass playoffs into the final week of the regular season.  Under coach Ed Wyzik, Belchertown has returned football to a relevant posi-tion in town, when many inside the sport believed it was possible.

“The kids made a commitment to get the team into contention,” said coach Ed Wyzik.  “There was a pos-itive feeling here all year.”

SOCCER FOOTBALL

Orioles take Thanksgiving game against Pioneers

Hunter Klingensmith of Belchertown first to make the hit as Zackery Bohnet and Michael Pelletier try to finalize the takedown on a Pathfinder ball carrier.

Photos by Lisa Thomas-Dufresne

BAILEY AWARD ❙ page 10

PANTHERS ❙ page 10

PATHFINDER ❙ page 10