Events: April 2008 Archives

Destination ImagiNation (aka DI) is a wonderful program that encourages creativity and problem-solving skills. Kids work in teams, grouped by age, and are lead by Team Managers who provide the problems each week and guide the team as it works on its challenges. There were several Stow teams who competed at Regionals ranging from kindergarten through high school. Yours truly was honored to have managed a K-2 team (called History Kids) who did an exceptional job in the non-competitive Rising Stars division. 

The fourth and fifth grade team from Center School (pictured) came in first place at the 2008 Massachusetts state championships and will be competing at the Global Finals in Tennessee. Their performance utilized some engineering skills (i.e., creating the illusion of a long school corridor using blinds) and theatrical skills. 

There are basically two components to DI: the Instant Challenges and Central Challenge. Instant Challenges are tasks that the team needs to solve in a short time interval. For example, when we were preparing for our regional competition, most of the Stow teams got together and were given an Instant Challenge by some older kids who had been to Globals in years past. My kids were given a strange looking object and were supposed to make a skit that answered "What it was?", "Why it was here?", "How it works?", etc. The Central Challenge is a long term project that teams work on throughout the season and perform at the competition. Our team's challenge was to take something from history, make a prop that will change history, make a play about it, and sing a song. Our team chose Abraham Lincoln's assassination as the period of history and decided to change it by inventing a TV remote control and having Paul Revere come riding in on a horse to scare away John Wilkes Booth. 

External Link: Stow Destination ImagiNation

I have about 20 landscaping projects I need help with at my house. So, I'd like to know how another family got to have Roger Cook come to their house to plant a big tree? Honestly, the scope of my landscaping projects is probably more suited for HGTV's Landscapers' Challenge with a budget of like half of what my house is worth! I can dream, can't I? But, yes, they came to Stow and planted a big tree: an Aristocratic Pear tree.

I always post only one image per entry, but I decided to make an exception today since I have two good images and I didn't know which one to choose.

Some of you may think this is a holiday because the Boston Marathon is held on this day or the Red Sox play their traditional home game. You would be wrong! Patriots' Day is a civic holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. It is observed in Massachusetts and Maine (once part of Massachusetts), and a public school observance day in Wisconsin. Observances and re-enactments of these first battles of the American Revolution occur annually at Lexington Green in Lexington, Massachusetts, and The Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. In the morning, a mounted reenactor with State Police escort retraces Paul Revere's ride, calling out warnings the whole way.

The Stow Minuteman Company was reactivated in 1965 by order of the Stow Selectmen, to "preserve and perpetuate the memory and spirit of our forebears [and] promote an active interest in Revolutionary history." They walked from downtown Stow at 4:45AM all the way to North Bridge in Concord. They are a tough group, but I didn't check to see if they were wearing period shoes. I read a story that said at least one did not (i.e., Ms. Katy Needle). It was a great time and I felt a shiver of patriotism as I followed this great group. Although I will admit that feeling wasn't strong enough to make me want to follow them all the way to North Bridge. By the halfway point, I had my images, so I went home to bed. That's patriotism for you!

The first image was near dawn (5:50AM) at their stop at the intersection of Concord Road and Acton Street (Route 27) in Maynard. The second image was taken after I made a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts and drove over to meet the Company just before they trekked down the footpath to Old Stow Road in West Concord.

Well this was a rather interesting event. I went to my first political pow wow in Hudson, Ma attended by several Stow officials, our state representative Pat Walrath (who is retiring and was being honored for her service) and Stow's Daisy Dearborn who was also honored for, I guess, being a democrat for umpteen years. Senator John Kerry was the keynote speaker. I've never felt so out of place in my entire life. Well, that's somewhat of an exaggeration. I was worried I was going to be found out as a fiscal conservative and they were going to flog me or something.

Kerry was introduced with the unsurprising remarks: "All I can say is... 'if only'." I guess this is probably what they say when Al Gore is introduced (or probably even Dukakis or Mondale). Gee, can we not look back? Anyway, Kerry was clearly stuck in the past. He told a funny story about the photo shoot with Dukakis (see image) where you will notice that "The Duke" looks taller (we all know he's very short) than Kerry (who is 6'4"). He also recalled his recent incident in Afghanistan in vivid detail, making me wonder if he was adding to this terrible helicopter flight in the same way that Hillary Clinton added to her "machine gun fire" story in Yugoslavia.

Anyway, all that aside, I am one of those crazy people who thinks that what we are doing in Iraq is making our country safer (this is basically John McCain's position). John Kerry clearly doesn't see it that way. I read my daily Stratfor reports and know that we have a definite interest as well as security concerns in all parts of the world. I believe the enemy (and I do believe we have an enemy) is bogged down over there and not bringing the war over here as a result. I think that makes my family safer. But I guess I'm crazy for thinking that, so Kerry tells me. Global politics is not about making nice with everyone. It's a chess game with death match stakes. I say we better play the game tough or we will get royally screwed. Somehow I don't think John Kerry would have played that way. If only...

The Stow PTO is a wonderful organization. It funds all the "extra" things that are done at the elementary schools that the school budgets themselves don't fund. Just this month they sponsored ragtime virtuoso Jeff Barnhart's performance at the schools which was a huge hit. The Lions Club sponsored his performance that evening at Town Hall. Last month they sponsored children's author and illustrator Lita Judge who told the kids about how her books are made. If you get involved with a town, you begin to realize that every other day there is a fundraiser for this group or that group. Well, Stow PTO decided to just have a dance and cover their costs as a way of giving back to everyone who has supported the organization. This year's dance was at Wedgewood Pines Country Club and was a real blast.

Eric Harmon was one of dozens of children who attended Kids Bingo night at St. Isidore's. It was a smash hit last year and we were not let down this year. Girl Scout Troop 2521 sponsored the event (the girls called out the letters and numbers, hosted games, and manned the concession stand). Eric, you may have seen, brought the Pompo Kindergarten mascot with him. Icicles makes the rounds with each child throughout the school year.

Members of the First Parish Church Children’s Choir had the unique opportunity to sing with the American Boychoir at their performance in Stow on Thursday April 3. I could not make the concert, but was treated to some sublime sounds while I took their press images. They even inspired me to join The Sounds of Stow Chorus, which I plan to do in the fall. The 70 year old American Boychoir is regarded as the United States’ premier concert boys’ choir and one of the finest boychoirs in the world. The singers range from 4th through 8th grade and pursue a musical and academic curriculum at the school located in New Jersey. They tour all over the nation and world and record regularly with such artists and ensembles as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, soprano Jessye Norman, pop diva Beyoncé, jazz vocalist and conductor Bobby McFerrin and Sir Paul McCartney.

Christopher McGillicuddy was one of many children checking out books at Pompo's book fair. During parent-teacher conference days in winter and spring, the Pompo library is host to Scholastic Books, which raises money for the elementary schools to buy books. Kara Wilson, Pompo Librarian, told me that the book fair has been running for many years. They used to run it at Center School in the gym/cafeteria, but then switched to the Pompo Library, both because it is a larger space and because the fair is run by library personnel and the proceeds go to support the library, so the Library seemed the most logical place to have the fair. In recent years, parent Maryanne Talpey has run the fair, but now that there is a full-time, certified librarian (Wilson), it is now being run once again by library personnel, but Talpey was there checking patrons out! About $1600 cash profit was raised and will be used to purchase library books. Wilson said: "The generosity of the citizens of Stow is simply astounding!"