On Friday January 27, the Oxford High School Sophomore Varsity Players put on a play called "Stress," which deals with bullying.  Brenda Ennis, Chairperson of the Oxford School Committee said, "The day went very well.  The students who participated should be very proud of themselves. They put their hearts in the message of No Name Calling and from speaking with a few of them, the majority of the students at the high school level ‘get it’."
 
The event was on the third day in which the Oxford school district observed "No Name Calling," as part of the State’s call for a "No Name Calling Day" to combat bullying.
 
(Pictured l to r - Back row:  Police Chief Michael Hassett, Superintendent of Schools Allen Himmelberger, State Representative Paul Frost, School Committee Member Marc Peterson, School Committee Chair Brenda A. Ennis, State Representative Ryan Fattman, parent Helen Howard. Front row:  Oxford High School Principal Kevin Wells, students Sonny Bates, Sarah Smith and Zach Brogna).

Donohue requested open hearing

The town’s animal control officer Sheila S. Donohue was terminated on January 3 and last week the town posted on its website a 24-page audit report which describes the irregularities and concerns that prompted the firing.

The audit had been requested in early 2011 by Town Manager Joseph M. Zeneski and was completed last June. Mr. Zeneski said that he had worked with Ms. Donohue since that time to correct the problems, but it didn’t work out. “Some people are beating me up over this,” he said, “because they say Sheila cared for animals. Others are saying, ‘what took you so long.’ “

It has become a very public issue; twenty or so supporters of Ms. Donohue picketed the Town Hall before a Board of Selectmen meeting two weeks ago, and the internet airways have been filled with vitriol.

Mr. Zeneski said the seven cats that were in the animal shelter in December were moved to the Barton Brook Kennel in Leicester under the supervision of the MSPCA. All but one of the cats has now been placed. The shelter was not a safe place for animals, he said, with just a small space heater to warm it.

Ms. Donohue had been the part-time Oxford animal control officer since 2006. In August 2011 she was also appointed as part-time animal control officer in Dudley, and began that job October 3. Town Administrator Peter Jankowski said this week that she’s been doing a good job in Dudley. “We’ve had no issues in the few months that she has been here.”

Ms. Donohue said: “Working in Dudley has been a pleasure. Everyone has been welcoming and receptive. I plan to continue working very hard and perform the job to the best of my abilities. I’m committed to my career and my job.”

Ms. Donohue’s resume attests to her love for animals, with work experience including twelve years at the UMass Medical School Department of Animal Medicine and eleven years at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. She has a large number of certifications and has participated in numerous professional organizations and activities. In April she will be completing a program at the National Animal Control Academy for national certification as an animal control officer.

The Oxford audit was prepared by Melanson Heath & Co. of Andover. It confirmed that the following had occurred.

1. Failure to submit accurate and timely activity and collections reports

2. Submitting payroll hours in excess of limits place by management

3. Holding animals beyond minimum time periods and providing medical treatment after the time periods have expired

4. Running an animal shelter without express authorization from the town

5. Failure to turn over activity logs maintained at the town facility

6. Failure to meet with the town auditor or to provide requested information

7. Failure to keep accurate control over veterinary bills to avoid duplicate payment

One of the items, not holding animals beyond minimum time periods seems to be especially galling to animal lovers and supporters.

The report states: “The Massachusetts General Laws and Town By-Laws authorize the animal control officer to pick-up stray dogs and cats and to release the animals for a fee paid by the owners or custodians. The General Laws and By-Laws also call for the animals to be killed, adopted or turned over to a licensed facility after a period of ten days for dogs and three days for cats. The MGL or Town By-Laws do not authorize the Town to accept or release animals surrendered by their owners and to hold them for adoption.”

In other words, the animal control officer is authorized only to impound animals, not accept them for adoption. Mr. Zeneski said it’s fine to use common sense with the animals. “Certainly, if we know an owner is on vacation we can wait until he returns. But, he said, the town by-laws require that if an animal is diseased or feral or rabid, there are procedures to follow.”

He said he discussed the irregularities with Ms. Donohue early on, but “she reacted extremely defensively, which suggested that there might be something wrong here.” That prompted his request for the audit.

Ms. Donohue received a copy of the audit at a meeting with Mr. Zeneski on December 22nd. She said she submitted a request in writing to him and every member of the Board of Selectman asking for an open hearing.

“My integrity has been questioned,” she said. “I’m willing to discuss the audit.”

In describing the role of an animal control officer, Ms. Donohue said that in many towns it has evolved quite a bit over the last 10 or 20 years. “It’s not just the old dog catcher job anymore. We are becoming more professional and now work with all kinds of animals. We can come take care of the raccoon on your deck, too.”

In spite of the difficulty with the Town, Ms. Donohue says Oxford has a lot of wonderful, generous people, and she is proud of her accomplishments there, especially her work on the new animal shelter. “That has been a great community effort,” she said, “sort of like an old-fashioned barn raising.”

Ms. Donohue said she plans to “defend my honor and integrity.” She would not say what form that might take.

The auditors recommended that their report be turned over to appropriate authorities; it has been sent to the district attorney and the attorney general’s office.

To read the report, go to www.town.oxford.ma.us, then click on accountant, then on ACO Forensic Audit.

On Friday morning, Officers responded to #38 Chestnut Hill Road. The homeowner of the residence was reporting that he returned to the house to find that there was a ladder propped to the back side of the house and he had discovered a broken basement window. When he entered the home, he found that his son was in the basement. The son, Robert M. Maynard (25yoa), lives at #32 Leicester Street in Oxford. He noticed that his son had a black pellet hand gun in his possession. Mr. Maynard then told his son to leave or he would call the police. He did not leave.

Upon arrival of the Officers, they were informed by Mr. Maynard that his son had a pellet hand gun on him. The first officer entered the home and confronted the son in the living room area. Maynard was pointing the pellet gun at the officer when he entered. Officers deployed their service weapons and repeatedly order Maynard to drop the gun and he refused. Maynard then retreated to the 2nd floor bedroom. Officers Picard & McDonald followed him upstairs. Another standoff occurred in the bedroom. At that time, officers had the opportunity to deploy pepper spray. Maynard succumbed to the spray and officers were able to restrain him.

Maynard was transported to the police department where he was booked and subsequently transported to the Dudley District Court for his arraignment.

Maynard is being charged with Breaking & Entering into the residence and Assault with a dangerous weapon (pellet gun) against the officers.

Isador’s Fruit and Deli

By Steev Riccardo

The Daily Green, a consumer’s guide to a green lifestyle from goodhousekeeping.com, recently listed the twelve fruits and vegetables that are produced using the most pesticides. The list is alarming: apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce, kale, and collard greens. These are common and important fruits and vegetables that most people eat.

There are many others not on this list, but they are still grown with pesticides. To avoid putting dangerous pesticides into your system, eating organic is your best and cleanest bet.

There is a great local option for organic eating and shopping: Isador’s Fruit and Deli in Oxford. The store sells organic produce and also prepares meals daily, using only organic ingredients.

Isador’s owner/operator Justin Szostakowski wanted to start a restaurant but also wanted a market when he opened his doors in 2006 “because those were two different ways we could move our product. Everything would be fresh and moving fast.”

“We started really small and have been growing ever since,” said Szostakowski, who grew up in Oxford and went to Oxford High School before taking business courses at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester.

He also took some food enthusiast courses at the Culinary Institute of America, but found that hands-on training served him best. “I could never really afford to go to school for cooking. (So instead) I took jobs in restaurants that I liked and I learned from chefs there. If you want to learn to be a chef you can learn just by watching people.”

Isador’s, which has the makeup of a small grocery store and deli, opened its doors as a conventional fruit market and made the move to organics about two years ago when “I realized that I needed to be different than the Market Baskets and the big super stores in order to survive. It was a really difficult decision to make because this stuff is twice as much money; it was a tough decision, but we did it, and I think it was a good one.”

“This is different than any restaurant I have worked in because we get really oddball produce” which Szostakowski refers to as “lost varietal produce.”

“If you are in a restaurant, you have iceberg lettuce and you get tomatoes, maybe carrots, you get the basics. Here we carry a gamut of things, we try all kinds of things.”

Being around all this healthy food even helped Szostakowski change his own eating habits. “It’s easy for me to maintain an organic diet because I am always around it and now it’s just food to me.” His advice for newcomers who are looking into transitioning to an organic diet is simple, “Try it for a couple of weeks and see what you think and see how you feel.”

Isador’s is also a proponent of working with local farmers on a seasonal basis. “There are quite a few organic farmers in this area; they might not be certified but they don’t spray (pesticides), and there are a few that are certified on the Western side of the state. It’s moving in that direction. Farmers realize that they have to be different, too, in order to stay ahead of the game of factory farms. They need to carve out a new niche for themselves,” Szostakowski said.

During the local growing season, employees go out and pick up from farms, and the store continues to carry local vegetables such as potatoes, kale, and beets during the winter.

The third tier of Isador’s business, and perhaps its most interesting, is its delivery service, which brings healthy food right to your doorstep. “We deliver directly to people’s houses. We do this so that we don’t throw away a lot of product. We go 25 miles out in every direction every week, and deliver to about 50 households.”

You can order from Isador’s either online or by telephone. Szostakowski said that you can order “anything you want” and they will make it for you.

Recently Isador’s also introduced its customers to a new concept called “zero package” grocery shopping. “You can come in with your own food-safe containers and we will fill them up. You can leave here without any trash. We have a lot of things in bulk, like rice, grains, beans, spices, and even vegetables and meats, which makes them cheaper to buy.”

The made-to-order meals, such as healthy burritos, salads, and soups, are also an exciting alternative. “They prepare awesome meals here that you can’t find anywhere nearby. I like to cook using my own natural organic products but it’s also good to have a place like this not that far away,” said Anthony Leoni of Charlton.

Michelle P. from Oxford, who had been a regular customer at Trader Joe’s in Shrewsbury, is happy that there is an organic food store like Isador’s nearby. It is nice to have something here in town. I just started eating clean in the last year to get healthier and this place is a great alternative.”

Isador’s also has a wide variety of vitamins and supplements to go along with all its healthy foods.

There are many other factors in farming and eating organically that are not only good for the body, but also good for the environment. It’s good to see a local business, like Isador’s, thinking outside the box.

Isador’s Deli and Fruit is located at 250r Main Street  (Rear Lot), Oxford, MA 01540 and online here: http://myorganicdelivery.com/

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Members of the Oxford School Anti-Bullying Committee
(photo by Steev Riccardo)

By Steev Riccardo

The Oxford anti-bullying subcommittee updated the Oxford School Committee this past Monday night about its upcoming three-day event surrounding “No Name Calling Day,” in a meeting held in the community room at the High School

“No Name Calling Day” will take place on January 25-27 and all Oxford schools will be participating.  The subcommittee is still putting the schedule together but one of the main features will be a play presented by the High School Varsity players at the Oxford Middle School.

School Committee chairperson Brenda Ennis extended the committee’s thanks to the anti-bullying subcommittee for the exceptional work they have done.  She said, “The committee is working very hard and making a huge difference,”

The Oxford High School student council has organized its first Polar Plunge event.  On Saturday, March 3, they will head out to Revere Beach for a swim to raise money for the Oxford High School Pirates United Special Olympics Program.

The Student Council is asking for the public’s support for this excellent cause.  Please join their team or go to polarplungema.org to make a donation. You can also contact organizers Patti Spitz This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Patty Ross This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.

The Oxford Historical Commission gave a presentation to the committee on its plans to celebrate the 100^th year anniversary of Clara Barton’s passing. There are plans in place for a ceremony to be held on the front lawn of the Oxford Middle School for “the angel of the battle field.”  More details will be announced once they are finalized.

The Committee also approved a field trip to New York City for the high school marching band and chorus. They will be performing at the historic Riverside Church in a date to be announced in May.

The Committee also recognized and had a moment of silence for the late Claire Sullivan, who worked as a school secretary for 27 years.

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By Ginger Costen Patriot Correspondent

Oxford – Having already been at this point in the hiring process for permanent intermittent police officers earlier this year, the Oxford Selectmen were relieved to finally be able to accept an independent panel's recommendation for six new officers at their December 20th meeting.

At the July 26 board meeting the selectmen voted to hire nine officers; however, a complaint was filed in August stating the selection process had been tainted because of a conversation that was overheard by one of the previous appointees between Selectmen Henry LaMountain and Michael Voas.

In September the state Civil Service Commission investigated the complaint and voided the first selection process. The Board of Selectmen was directed to redo the entire hiring process without any involvement from either Selectmen LaMountain or Voas. The Commission also ordered Board Chairman Jennie Caissie to appoint an independent panel to interview the potential police candidates and recommend the finalists.

Chairman Caissie appointed Theresa Colognesi, Vice President of Human Resources at Savers Bank; James Mallory, Westboro Town Manager; and lawyer Thomas Ford who is also a former state police detective. The panel interviewed 13 applicants and sent a recommendation for six finalists.

The board voted to offer the part-time positions of permanent intermittent police offer to Matthew Laskes from North Oxford, Daniel Karle from Dudley, Roy Aquafresca from Oxford, Michael Vigeant from North Oxford, Jennifer Randall from Oxford and Michael Gifford from Oxford.

At the December 6 board meeting, the selectmen approved an immediate fulltime lateral transfer position after listening to a presentation by Police Chief Michael Hassett. He cited an increase in house and car break-ins as well as thieves steeling scrap metal and copper from empty homes and businesses as one of the major crimes in the area. Chief Hassett had told the Board of Selectmen at the November 15th meeting that the department needs two full time officers to help with the current demands.

Selectman Dennis Lamarche nominated the panel's six candidates. Selectman John Saad said he was also very impressed with the panel and seconded the nomination. Neither Selectmen LaMountain nor Voas was present at the December 20th meeting and they did not vote at the November 15th meeting.

Chief Hassett told the board at the November meeting the he knows every department is suffering right now because of the economy. "But in the next couple of weeks I'm going to have three officers going out because of injuries and one won't return until February and the other two will be into March or longer," said Chief Hassett.

According to Chief Hassett the average age of the department is 45 years-old. "We have seven people who are in their 50's, six in their 40's, six in their 30's and none in their 20's," he said. Hiring two lateral transfers would be a quick and solid fix."

With a lateral transfer the officers would already be trained through the police academy and would save the department both the time (six months) and money ($3,000) of having to send an applicant to training as well as pay the officer during the training ($22,000 - $26,000).

According to Chief Hassett the department is suppose to have 22 officers but they haven't had that many for several years. Currently there are nineteen officers with 15 patrolmen, three sergeants and the chief.

The immediate need is for the second and third shifts; however, the overtime that the department is accruing is beginning to worry both the selectmen and Chief Hassett. "Overtime is getting destroyed and we need boots on the ground for officer and public safety," he said.

"I understand that you're having to pull a few shifts yourself and that's not a good thing," said Selectman Lamarche. "So I'm willing to approve one lateral transfer for immediate relief but I still firmly believe in hiring the intermittent police officers who come up through the process."

Chief Hassett said that everyone in the department is doing what they have to do to get the job done but he worries about morale. "I have officers pulling a forty hour shift with 20 hours in overtime and that's not including the detail work. But that gets old and the officers can't maintain it - you need balance," Chief Hassett said.

At the December 20th meeting Chairman Caissie said she also supported the six finalists and "I would like to thank all the nominees and apologize to anyone who has had to go through this. It's been an ordeal.

In other business the new state representative who will be serving Oxford in 2013, Ryan Fattman, introduced himself to the board providing a quick overview of his background, experience and plans for the future.

Selectman Lamarche asked Representative Fattman to make the financial distribution for the proposed casino revenue a priority, making sure the money gets pushed back to the towns.

Town Manager Joseph Zeneski reported that after many long hours and persistence Oxford had received a $2.2 million grant from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program. "Thanks to assistance from Senator Richard Moore, the Oxford-Dudley-Webster sewer extension project will go forward," said Zeneski. The construction of a sewer connection will immediately serve IPG Photonics on Old Webster Road and neighboring areas in Webster and Dudley.

The board set May 2, 2012 as the next town meeting date and opted to return the meeting to the High School. The warrant was opened immediately and will close on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. The town meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

The Presidential Primary is scheduled for February 6; Oxford Annual Town Election is May 15, 2012 and the State/Presidential Election will be held November 6, 2012. The State Primary is tentatively scheduled for September 18, 2012 pending a final decision by the state due to Rosh Hashanah falling on September 16-18.

Ginger Costen may be reached at 508-943-8784 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

By Steev Riccardo

 Oxford - In April 2010, just before Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick passed the revised anti-bullying legislation, a group of elementary school students from Mashpee lobbied to add their own provision to the law: a No Name-Calling Day. Patrick inserted the item in Section 1 of the anti-bullying legislation, citing the fourth Wednesday of January as No Name-Calling Day throughout the state.

In Oxford, an Anti-Bullying Task Force committee formed by the Oxford School Committee has been meeting regularly and announced last week that they will observe a No Name-Calling Week instead, the last week of January.

“We are doing really great work and keeping in tune with the message that bullying will not be tolerated in Oxford Public Schools and bullying will end in Oxford Public Schools,” said Brenda Ennis, chair of the school committee.

The Anti-Bullying Task Force is comprised of administration, students, parents, teachers, and school committee members Mark Peterson and Ennis.

“As you can imagine there is a great deal of conversation going on during our meetings,” said Ennis. The group will be meeting again on December 19th at Oxford High School.

The Oxford School Committee originally formed an Anti-Bullying Task Force in 2010 to complete a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education policy. This policy had been mandated to each district as an Intervention Plan. That task force was disbanded in early 2011.

A new subcommittee was then formed. The group had discussed the “No Name-Calling Week” and presented it to school committee members, who were also in favor a week-long observance.

“No Name-Calling Day” was inspired by a national initiative called “No Name-Calling Week” and was motivated by the novel The Misfits, written by a young writer named James Howe.

Howe’s book tells the story of four best friends trying to survive the seventh grade in the face of all too frequent taunts based on their weight, height, intelligence, and sexual orientation/gender expression.

Motivated by the inequalities they see around them, the group creates a new political party during student council elections and runs on a platform aimed at wiping out name-calling of all kinds. In the end, the No-Name Party wins the support of the school's principal for its cause and its idea for a "No Name-Calling Day" at school.

The book has been influential nationwide and indirectly was the impetus for Oxford’s plan to move forward with the weekly observance. Ennis feels that is a major step in the schools efforts to curtail bullying, and it’s hard to disagree.

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By Steev Riccardo

Oxford - The Oxford School Committee met this past Monday night at Oxford High School and began plans to negotiate with Superintendent of Schools Allen Himmelberger on a three-year reappointment.

“We have started a relationship with this superintendent and the relationship is being cultivated; we feel that it is in our best interest to continue to do so,” said School Committee Chairperson Brenda Ennis.  “No one is interested in going on a search. What we all hope for is progress of this district.”

Himmelberger has been asked to put together some goals that he can attain.  “We want these to be real goals that he sets and we want to see the progress.  We see that he has the best interest of this district in his heart and that is very important to us.”

The negotiation process will begin on January 9.

The committee and Oxford High School principal Kevin Wells acknowledged the Oxford High School Pirates United group, which represented the Special Olympics Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, December 4, before the New England Patriots game with the Indianapolis Colts.

Patricia Ross, who is the local coordinator for the Oxford High School Pirates United, which includes the cheerleading team, accompanied the group on the trip. Ross was praised and congratulated for her efforts by both Himmelberger and Ennis.

The committee also approved a trip for the Oxford Middle School to go to Providence College for a visit. The day trip is for lady athletes and leaders in the school.  Ennis, who will also be attending the trip, which focuses on being a good person, working hard, athletics and academics, said she was “thrilled to be going with the group.”
The next Oxford School Committee meeting is set for January 9, 2012, and will be held at Oxford High School.  All meetings are open to the public.

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By Steev Riccardo

With all this talk about pizza being a vegetable and Congress voting down measures to make meals healthier in our schools, curiosity led me on a mission back to the high school cafeteria.

All the memories I had of eating in school cafeterias were from my high school days at the old Bartlett High School on Negus Street in Webster. These memories were all good, and honestly, I don’t remember the food being bad either, but then again, that was more than a few years ago.

And times have changed. There are a lot more preservatives, additives, and refined sugars in foods today. You really have to read the labels and when comes to what is being served to children in schools, you have to have faith that someone is getting it right and making sure that the kids are getting the nutrition they need.

I started looking at school menus and comparing them, but ultimately it seemed to make more sense to actually see the food and perhaps even try it. I contacted Brenda Ennis of the Oxford School Committee and she was kind enough to make the offer and asked me at which school in the district I would like to eat.

For some time now, I have wanted to drop in on my old friend and current Oxford High School principal Kevin Wells, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that. Ms. Ennis set it all up and I was on my way to do the taste test.

Upon arriving at the school, I was greeted by Superintendent Allen Himmelberger, who added his thoughts on the latest developments in school food service. “The federal government runs a multimillion dollar food service program and because it is large and it’s federal, it’s subject to politics.”

Himmelberger explained that there has been a big push towards healthier eating, mostly because of obesity in children. “There is a large effort to combat some of the requirements from vested interests. What surfaced politically last week was that pizza could be counted as a vegetable if a certain amount of tomato paste was used, and so it gets pretty interesting.”

Interesting indeed, but wait a second, does anyone really consider tomato paste a vegetable? (Hold on, let me get a real expert on tomatoes on the phone. Mom? Hi how are you? Do you consider tomato paste a vegetable? “What is wrong with you, are you crazy or something Stevie?” Sorry Mom, have a nice day). I didn’t think so.

Himmelberger explained that this is all part of a regulatory song and dance. “I think a certain amount of regulation is required whenever there are federal dollars attached. We have to play by the rules but let’s make the rules fair and equitable for all.”

If you were wondering, like I was, Oxford High School does serve pizza on occasion, but it is not part of the regular rotation that meets the nutritional requirements. “They try and be creative with what they have to work with. The meals are healthy and right now that is the most important thing,” said Wells, who praised the efforts of the school cook Claire Harrington.

“I think that we provide a wide variety within the confines of what we have to operate and work with. I think our food service director has done a great job,” he said.

Wells also noted that the school has made lunch affordable for students who come from families that are dealing with low income. “The program is based on parental income and gives students the opportunity to get a free or reduced lunch. Some pay 25 cents, some get it free. It is part of the government’s ability to help out students that come from difficult financial situations.”

Students at Oxford High School can also take advantage of a breakfast program, which begins each day at 7 a.m. It’s also championed by Wells. “A lot of kids today don’t have breakfast at home for a multitude of reasons, so we offer to them before school starts.”

The lunch bell rang and the moment that I had anxiously waited for was here. “Wellsy,” whoops, sorry, Mr. Wells and I made our way to Pirates Cove, the aptly named school cafeteria.

Looking over the menu and choices, I was pretty impressed. There were many options on the menu, and I have to say everything looked good.

The three main choices were Barbecue Rib Sandwiches, Vegetable Lasagna, and Turkey, all of which were served with vegetables and salad and sugar free, low calorie drinks. You could also get a pre-made salad as a meal or indulge in the very well-stocked salad bar.

Not being much of a meat eater-- well, actually I’m a vegetarian-- this choice was an easy one and, I must say, the Vegetarian Lasagna was fantastic, as was the salad and the butternut squash. I was very impressed and the fact that Mr. Wells footed the bill made it even nicer.

If there is a problem with what kids are eating at schools these days, Oxford High School is definitely not part of the problem. This was a really good, nutritious, and tasty meal, in fact one of the better meals I have had in some time. I give it a totally thumbs-up score, and there was definitely no tomato paste in the vegetables!

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By Steev Riccardo

Oxford - Oxford High School Senior Emily Barton has been awarded the Superintendent’s Award, which is given on a yearly basis to an outstanding student in the school district.

The award is sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and is presented to recognize the highest academic excellence and achievement. The requirements are to have maintained a very high GPA, to be involved in extracurricular activity, and to also give back to the community by volunteering.

Oxford Superintendent of Schools Allen Himmelberger calls the Superintendent’s Award, “the most prestigious award that school districts give out. Each year there are clear-cut winners of this award and this year was no different. Emily is an outstanding student who is involved in extracurricular activities and contributes to her community.”

Himmelberger, who is in his seventh year as superintendent, went on to say, “It’s the best part of being a superintendent when you can recognize student achievement. The award carries a lot of weight for students applying to colleges for admission.”

High School Principal Kevin Wells and the Guidance Department make the recommendation to the superintendent.

“I’m very proud to receive it, but it really hasn’t hit me yet,” said the senior, who was recognized this week at the Oxford School Committee meeting.

Aside from maintaining a brilliant 4.0 grade average, Barton is also the Senior Vice President of the National Honor Society and is in involved with the Invisible Children program, “which is working to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis which is taking place in Uganda involving child soldiers.”

Her real love is art and she loves to draw and listen to Country music when she is not studying.  She singled out Kris Kristofferson, Conway Twitty, Taylor Swift, and Sara Evans as some of her favorites.  She says her entire family is into Country accept her Mom who is into “80’s techno music.”

Her first choice of colleges is Boston College. She also has Northeastern University and UMass Amherst on her list. She has applied to Harvard, but said, “I’m not sure I want to go there.”

Barton wants to major in pre-law and social psychology and hopes to be a social worker and later become an attorney.

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