Classic Envelope of Douglas also makes list based on job growth, investment, and facility expansion

WATERTOWN, Massachusetts – Nineteen companies from across the state have been selected as finalists for the 2012 Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards, awarded annually by MassEcon. These finalists, representing companies from the Merrimack Valley to the Pioneer Valley, will present one-minute elevator pitches describing their growth in the Bay State to a panel of judges and business leaders on September 12, 2012 at the UMass Club in Boston. Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, Greg Bialecki, will be the featured guest at the event. Oxford's IPG Photonics Corporation was chosen as one of three Central Massachusetts finalists.

The awards celebrate companies that have made an outstanding contribution to the Massachusetts economy. The winners from each of the five regions will be announced in October and recognized at an awards luncheon on November 20th in Boston.

The finalist companies range in size and are drawn from many different industries, including software, manufacturing, life sciences, energy, and robotics. MassEcon selected the finalists based on their job growth, facility expansion, and investment since January 1, 2011, as well as other criteria including community involvement. Together this year’s finalists have added over 2,000 jobs to the Commonwealth, invested nearly $250 million, and expanded their facilities by more than 1.5 million square feet since January 2011.

Finalists compete on a regional basis, defined as West, Central, Southeast, Northeast, and Greater Boston. From the pool of finalists, a gold, silver, and bronze winner will be selected from each region.

“Our world-leading innovation economy is driven by entrepreneurial companies like the Team Massachusetts award finalists and other companies like them around Massachusetts,” said Greg Bialecki, the Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. “The Patrick-Murray Administration appreciates the investment these firms are making in our economy and our long-term economic development plan prioritizes the innovation economy in an effort to help these companies succeed.”

“As the state makes its way through economic recovery, we’re thrilled to recognize the businesses in Massachusetts that are expanding,” Susan Houston, Executive Director, MassEcon added. “Our finalists demonstrate that growth in the Commonwealth is not limited to one region or one industry. We are fortunate to have such a diverse group of companies contributing to the prosperity of Massachusetts.”

The companies chosen as finalists for the 9th ANNUAL TEAM MASSACHUSETTS ECONOMIC IMPACT AWARDS are listed below.

WEST:

Polymer Corporation – Palmer

Savage Arms – Westfield

Thing5 – Springfield

SOUTHEAST:

Aquabotix – Fall River

Cheer Pack – West Bridgewater

Lacerta Group – Mansfield

Sysco Boston LLC – Plympton

NORTHEAST:

Acme Packet – Bedford

Cabot Corporation – Haverhill

EMD Millipore – Billerica

Pharmalucence – Billerica

Thermo Fisher Scientific – Tewksbury

CENTRAL:

Classic Envelope – Douglas

IPG Photonics Corporation – Oxford

Quiet Logistics – Devens

GREATER BOSTON:

Boston Heart Diagnostics – Framingham

Brightcove – Boston

Pegasystems – Cambridge

Vecna Technologies – Cambridge

About MassEcon

MassEcon, founded in 1993, is a non-profit, non-partisan entity that serves as the state’s private sector partner in promoting Massachusetts as the premier choice for business growth. Its services include the state's only Site Finder Service, which helps expanding and relocating companies find appropriate sites throughout the Commonwealth; the Research & Information Service, which provides companies with the information they need to evaluate the Commonwealth as a location to grow; and the Massachusetts Ambassadors, a network of civic and corporate leaders who help market Massachusetts as a place to do business. www.massecon.com

By Patriot Staff

REGION – In a change from the standard Tuesday  election day, the state primary will be held on a Thursday this year, tomorrow, September 6. For voters in Webster, Dudley, and Oxford, the only contests on the ballot are for US  Congressional seats.

Dudley is now part of the newly drawn First Congressional District, where Democrat Richard E. Neal of Springfield is the incumbent US representative. He is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Andrea F. Nuciforo. Jr., a former state senator and the Berkshire County Registrar of Deeds, and political humorist Bill Shein of Alford, who has not held  public office previously, but has written jokes for Senator Al Franken and has worked for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Congressman Neal has represented the Second Congressional District, which included Webster and Oxford as well as Dudley, since 1988. There are no Republican candidates in the primary.

For Webster and Oxford voters, the primary for US Congress also holds only Democratic candidates. James B. McGovern, incumbent of the Third Congressional District is now running to represent the Second, due to the redistricting. He is being challenged in the primary by William Feegbeh, a Worcester resident with an affinity for politics, but without previous experience.  Mr. McGovern, a member of the House Rules Committee, is running for his ninth term in office.

There are no primary challengers in the positions for state senator, state representative, Governor's council, or US Senate in either major political party. The Green-Rainbow party ballots are completely empty.

“This is unusual,” said Webster Town Clerk Robert Craver. The lack of contests will hamper  voter participation. he said. “I'm hoping for a decent turnout, but I'm not optimistic. It's really  disconcerting; we spend $6,000-$8,000 for the election and print ballots for people to vote. We'll probably have to throw most of them away.” He said he'd still like to see people exercise their obligation to vote. In other countries “people die for the right to vote.”

In Dudley, Town Clerk Ora Finn agreed. “I'm expecting a low turnout, but it wouldn't be bad if I was surprised.” The Republican ballot has just three people to vote for and all are unopposed, she noted. “But the real core voters are loyal and will come out.”

State Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) will be unopposed in the November election. Governor's Councillor Jennie Caissie will also be unopposed.

State representative candidates will be challenged in the November election, however, if not in the primaries. In the newly drawn 6th Worcester congressional district, which includes Dudley, Southbridge, and precincts in Charlton and Spencer, incumbent Republican Peter J. Durant will be challenged by Democrat Kathleen Walker, selectwoman from Charlton. In the new 18th Worcester district, which includes Webster, precincts  1 and 4 in Oxford, Douglas, and Sutton, Democrat Donald Bourque, chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Webster, will run against incumbent Republican Ryan Fattman.  In the 7th Worcester district, which includes precincts 2 and 3 of Oxford, Auburn and Millbury, incumbent Paul K. Frost is unopposed in both the primary and the general election.

Voters registered in a political party may only vote in that party’s primary. Unenrolled (Independent) voters may vote in the Democratic, Republican, or Green-Rainbow party, and will remain unenrolled after voting.

All Dudley precincts vote at the Municipal Center. All Webster precincts vote at the Town Hall. Oxford Precincts 1 and 4 vote at the Chaffee School, Precinct 2 at the Middle School, Precinct 3 at the Town Hall.

With 3 of the 5 elections in the  2011-2012  Senator Louis Bertonazzi Foundation  “Best Voting Community” contest complete,  a close race exists among the 19 competing communities.

Upton, Mendon and Westborough are running neck and neck among the leaders.  Most of the other towns make up the middle of the pack.  And at this point, Uxbridge, Oxford and Sutton are trailing the field.

Fortunately for all 19 towns, there are 2 elections left in which to take over the lead—the September Primary and the November Election.

After the 2011 local elections were held, Mendon, Upton, Bellingham and Auburn were ahead.  The Presidential Primary in March 2012 saw Westborough,  Hopedale and Upton with the highest percentage of  turnouts.  And the 2012 local elections were led by Westborough, Upton, Southbridge and Northbridge.

The present combined totals of all 3 elections are listed in our chart in the overall order of all the standings (at the end of this article). The voter turnout for the upcoming September Primary and November Election will determine the 19 town voter competition winner for 2011-2012.

The town with the highest percentage of registered voters who actually cast their vote in the 5 combined elections will be declared the winner of the Senator Louis Bertonazzi  Foundation  2011-2012  “Best Voting Community” Award.

The Town Clerk and Board of Registrars will be given a check for $1000 and a plaque will be given to the Board of Selectmen.  The Townspeople will receive a large banner proclaiming the town’s outstanding display of citizenship.

Thus the next 2 elections provide an additional strong incentive for all voters in each of the 19 towns to exercise their voting privilege—a privilege won and protected by the sacrifice of so many over the years.

The Senator Louis Bertonazzi Foundation Board of Directors are Dr. Carl DiGregorio, Chairman;  Michael Diorio, Treasurer;  Attorney David Bertonazzi, Clerk;  Cynthia Casey, Thomas Cullen, Gail Crimaldi, Joseph Nigro, Patrick Niro, Stanley Nalewajko, members; and Louis Bertonazzi, ex-officio.

Community standings to date:

as more human cases of West Nile virus emerge: one confirmed, six probable human cases in Essex, Hampden and Middlesex counties

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that a fourth human case of West Nile virus (WNV) has been confirmed in the state. The patient, a Newton woman in her 50s, was briefly hospitalized and is recovering. As a result, the WNV threat level has been raised to “High” in Newton and to “Moderate” in Needham, Waltham, Wellesley and Weston. Health officials are also awaiting confirmation of an additional six probable human cases of WNV: four in Middlesex County, one in Hampden County and one in Essex County.

“With today’s announcement, it’s clear that the threat of mosquito-borne illness is present throughout the Commonwealth,” said DPH State Epidemiologist Dr. Al DeMaria. “It’s critically important that people across the state take steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites – especially with the warm temperatures and outdoor activities planned for this long Labor Day Weekend.”

“While we now have a confirmed WNV case in a Newton resident, we have known about positive mosquitoes in Newton since July,” said Dr. Dori Zaleznik, Commissioner of Health and Human Services for the City of Newton. “We continue to urge our residents to take common-sense precautions to prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellent – especially if you need to be out between dusk and dawn.”

WNV infected mosquitoes have been found in 93 communities from nine counties so far during 2012, and health officials predict that the state is on track to have the greatest number of WNV-positive mosquito pools since WNV was first seen in Massachusetts in 2000. There have been three human cases of WNV in Massachusetts prior to today’s announcement – two in Middlesex County and one in Berkshire County. There were six cases of WNV in Massachusetts residents and one in a horse last year. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease. WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. When present, WNV symptoms tend to include fever and flu-like illness. In rare cases, more severe illness can occur.

People have an important role to play in protecting themselves and their loved ones from illnesses caused by mosquitoes:

Avoid mosquito bites

Apply Insect Repellent when Outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535 according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning.

Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Mosquito-proof your home

Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or

discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

Install or repair screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

Protect your animals

Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools – especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding habitats and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquitoes near paddock areas. Horse owners should keep horses in indoor stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Owners should also speak with their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent WNV and EEE. If an animal is diagnosed with WNV or EEE, owners are required to report to DAR, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795 and to the Department of Public Health (DPH) by calling 617-983-6800.

More information, including all WNV and EEE positive results from 2012, can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page at www.mass.gov/dph/wnv or by calling the DPH Epidemiology Program at 617-983-6800.

From the Webster-Dudley Historical Society

More photos follow

If you have driven up School Street recently, you may have noticed construction being done on the Little Red Schoolhouse. Thanks to a generous $15,000 donation from the Janet Malser Humanities Trust, much needed and long-overdue repairs were able to be made to the roof of this historic building. Three W Construction and Development Co., Thompson, CT removed all of the roof to the hand hewed log rafters and added new 2 by 10 rafters. Before resheathing the roof, 3 W attached the new rafters to the older logs and the existing interior ceiling. R-19 fiberglass insulation was added along with two 20 amp electric wires (for future use).

The roof was shingled with 30 year shingles and trim covered with barn red aluminum. Soffit and ridge vents were added to aid with moisture removal. The pantry flat roof was also resheathed, and a new membrane was installed.

The Malser Trust encourages the restoration and preservation of historic sites of which the Little Red Schoolhouse is one. It was placed on the Registry’s List of Historical Places on January 9, 1991. The building houses historic documents and artifacts of great significance in the early years of Webster and Dudley. These repairs and renovations will protect the safety of these treasures.

The Webster-Dudley Historical Society gratefully acknowledges this grant from the Janet Malser Humanities Trust Fund and also thanks the Trust for its generosity. This funding will greatly help to preserve the integrity of the Little Red Schoolhouse so that it may be enjoyed by the general public of the surrounding areas for generations to come.

The WDHS would also like to thank Three W Construction and Development Company for their excellent work and for being able to accommodate our needs while staying within the $15,000 budget.

Thursday, August 30

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

SOUTHBRIDGE, MA. The Committee to elect Kathleen Walker (D-Charlton) to the House of Representatives for the 6th Worcester District will host a grand opening on Thursday, August 30th from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at the combined campaign headquarters at 367 Main Street (the former Friendly’s) in Southbridge.

The public is invited to stop by to say hello to Walker who is running for the seat that includes the towns of Southbridge, Dudley, three precincts in Charlton and one in Spencer.

The event is being coordinated by Youth for Walker (Y4W) which is a committee of young people Walker is working with to get them involved in the campaign and election process. Rosa Brito of Southbridge will speak at the event on behalf of Y4W. Other guest speakers are being confirmed.

Ice cream and the fixings to make your own sundae will be available along with refreshments. Accomplished musicians Hunter Foote and Paul Zotos will provide music. The event is open to the public. The committee welcomes campaign donations and urges Walker supporters to pick up a lawn sign and to sign up to volunteer for upcoming campaign activities.

For more information, call the campaign at 774-452-0697 or go to the website at www.electkathleenwalker.com for more information about the candidate.

AYF players ready for action

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

Oxford - American Youth Football continues to be one of the fastest growing youth football and cheering organizations in America and this week a new team began practicing at Oxford High School. 

The Oxford/Webster team now joins Dudley/Charlton as one of 23 existing programs in the Central Mass conference. 

The main difference between American Youth Football (AYB) and the long running Pop Warner is that kids play on a grade system rather than a weight system.  Oxford/Webster AYB coach Tony Depiro thinks that is better for the kids because they get to play against kids in their own grade. 

Depiro, (above) who was an assistant coach at Oxford High School last season under recently departed head coach Jeff Parcells, is happy that the locals got their team.

“One of Coach Parcells’s goals last year was to have a youth football team here in town. Having a kid, it made sense for me to help him out,” said Depiro, who has been involved in coaching for nine years.  “We started talking about this last October and with the help of the Oxford High School and the use of the field, which was the biggest obstacle at the beginning, it started coming together.”

“We formed a board of directors last December. We partnered with Webster and it’s been a good success so far. All in all as a first-year program we are quite excited, we are quite surprised with the numbers and the turnout.”

Practice began last week with 87 football players currently signed up, and participating, along with 40 cheerleaders, which are excellent numbers for the new program.

Jen Depiro,(above) who is cheer director and head coach for the 8-and- under cheer squad, said, “Our goal here with the girls is to bring fun back to the sport of cheerleading, especially for the younger girls.  Competitions are where the girls have the opportunity to shine and show off what they have been working so hard to accomplish.  The football games are about spirit, having fun with friends, supporting the football players and learning about the game of football in the process."

The newly formed team will kick off its campaign in the Central Mass American Youth Football (AYB) jamboree next Sunday August 19 in Worcester.

Read more about local sports every week in the View from the Sidelines and contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with comments. 

Assists families in Brookfield and Webster

The American Red Cross of Central MA responded to two fires early Monday morning. A team of 7 volunteers went to assist families displaced by a fire at 31 Prospect Street in Webster. The team assisted six families (12 adults, 7 children) at the scene with comfort kits and food; five of the six were also assisted with shelter. The sixth family had alternate shelter. One family also received resources for clothing.

Another team of Red Cross volunteers dispatched to 34 Quabog Street in Brookfield this morning to assist those affected by a multi-unit fire. The team has already assisted six adults with shelter, bedding, food and clothing and will be meeting with two more adults later this afternoon to determine their needs. The Red Cross will be in contact with everyone displaced by the fire to offer emotional support and continued services.

Red Cross disaster services will be in contact with all families and individuals in the coming days to assist with recovery.

First-Time Home Buyer Seminar
and Certification Classes

Oxford, Massachusetts - Hometown Bank, in conjunction with the RCAP Solutions Housing Consumer Education Center and SWC-CDC, is hosting a FREE First Time Home Buyer Seminar on Wednesday, September 5, from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in its Oxford Branch conference room.

This will be followed by First Time Home Buyer Certification Classes on September 17, 19 and 24 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. where participants will meet a team of professionals who will help you learn what to look for in your first home-buying team and receive the certification required by many first time home buyer programs. There is a $45 fee for this course and all sessions must be attended to receive certification. Click here for full details.

Space in both programs is limited and pre-registration is required by August 21 by contacting Pam Moshier at (978) 630-6791 or emailing her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Denise Cournoyer of Webster, MA was the deserving raffle winner of an I Pad through her family’s volunteer participation in soliciting funding towards the Statewide “All Aboard the Arc!” campaign to support the 17 Arcs in Massachusetts who serve people with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities. She is seen here with her Mom, Linda, a tireless advocate for her daughter and other people with disabilities; Jim Howard, Executive Director of the Center of Hope Foundation, the Arc in south central Mass; Marie Barse, Recruitment Manager of the campaign and Cindy Howard, Director of Admin Services. For every $300.00 raised towards the event, participants names were added into the statewide pool.

Denise is especially deserving of this item, as a person with limited verbal communication. I Pads have become a wonderful tool in the education and communication needs of people with a variety of disability issues. Congratulations, Denise! Denise and Linda want to thank all of those family and friends who supported them in their efforts to raise $2,500.00 to benefit the Center of Hope Foundation.

To learn more about the “All Aboard the Arc!” Campaign go to the Arc of Massachusetts website or the Center of Hope Foundation’s website.