American Legion to Hold Meeting
There will be a regular meeting of the Hiram O. Taylor Post 189 of the American Legion on Monday, August 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Post Hall on 32 School Street in Sterling. E-Board at 6:30 p.m., food at 7 p.m. We will meet twice in August. The September meeting will be on August 31. There will be a Sterling Association drawing at the meeting on the 31st. At this time food is a surprise for both meetings.
Opinion Regarding Town Meeting Participation
Someone once told me that the town meeting is the purest form of democracy. Maybe. But it’s also a very unrepresentative form of democracy. Last month’s meeting on June 14 is a case in point.
Sterling has over 6,000 registered voters. Yet, seemingly in the blink of an eye, an $11 million municipal budget was approved by about 150 people. That same tiny fraction of the town’s registered voters gave the green light to various capital expenditures, new municipal employment positions, and changes to the town bylaws.
I’m not passing judgment on any of those decisions. They all may be justified. But the point is that significant decisions affecting everyone in Sterling are being made by a very small segment of the electorate.
You may say that the fault lies with the overwhelming majority of voters who didn’t show up for the town meeting. And you’d probably be right. But attendance at future town meetings is not likely to change and the goal ought to be to involve as many voters as possible in the decision making process that affects every resident and taxpayer in Sterling. Perhaps the town should have a conversation about things that could be done to increase the chances of realizing that goal.
Patrick Fox
Tanglewood Road
Sterling
A Brief Message from the Sterling Garden Club
Sterling Garden Club Plant Sale: Look for us at the 2021 Sterling Fair, Sept. 10-12.
CDBG Microenterprise Assistance Grant – up to $25,000
If your business is located in Clinton, Douglas, Lancaster, Northbridge, Sterling or Webster, you may be eligible to apply for a Microenterprise Assistance Grant.
Grant awards of up to $25,000 are available to eligible businesses within those towns that have experienced financial loss due to Covid-19 and the associated shut downs. Eligible businesses must have five employees or fewer (including the owner(s)), must have been in business since January 1, 2019 and must be able to demonstrate revenue loss caused by the pandemic. The business owner’s family income must fall within certain limits. Other eligibility requirements apply.
The grants are made possible through a Community Development Block Grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Federal CARES Act and administered by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
Preliminary applications will be reviewed for eligibility. All businesses deemed eligible for assistance will be entered into a lottery that will determine the order in which applications are processed. Separate lotteries will be held for each community. Applications received after the February 8th deadline will be added to the waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information and a preliminary application, contact Carol Cyr at the Webster Office of Community Development: (508)949-3800 ext. 4004 or e-mail: ccyr@webster-ma.gov.
Additional information here: https://www.webster-ma.gov/1040/Webster-Regional-Microenterprise-Program
Craftspeople Invited to Apply to Fall Fair
Members of the Friends of the Conant Public Library are excited to announce that the Arts & Crafts Show will return this year, after taking last year off. It will be held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the First Church in Sterling, 6 Meetinghouse Hill Road. Spaces fill quickly, and the deadline to apply is August 1. Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.
This annual fair features high-quality crafts and art, including knitted and crocheted items, jewelry, soap, photography, wood products, pottery, ornaments, note cards, alpaca items, and more. All items must be handmade. Vendors will be selected through a rolling jury process, and the number of vendors in specific categories will be limited.
Vendor applications are available online at SterlingLibrary.org. Click on “About the Library” in the top menu bar, then “Friends of the Library.” Printed applications are available at the library, 4 Meetinghouse Hill Road, in Sterling center. For more information, send an email to sterlingcraftfair@gmail.com.
Grieving Mothers Support Group
Myles Above Heaven is an intimate support group in the loss of a child. They will meet on Saturday, July 17 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at The Hall, 34 Ford Road, Sterling, MA. Follow Myles Above Heaven on Facebook or contact them at mylesaboveheaven@gmail.com.
Black Bear Information from Animal Control Officer
A favorite target of black bears is bird feeders in yards. If a bear has been reported in your area, please take your bird feeder down and leave it down. Putting your bird feeders up during the day then taking them down at night does not keep the black bears away. Don’t wait until the bear has knocked your feeder down to remove it. Let’s keep black bears in the woods where they belong for your safety.
Louis Massa
Animal Control Officer
Town Of Sterling
The Town of Sterling to Elect Delegates to Democratic State Convention.
Registered Democrats in Sterling will hold a caucus on Monday, July 26, 2021 at the Sterling Town Hall/ Municipal Building, 1 Park St., Sterling, MA. 01564 at 6:30 PM. The caucus will take place in-person following health guidelines.
This year’s state convention will be held on September 25 at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, where Democrats from across the state will come together to adopt a Party platform, discuss Party business and celebrate our successes as we prepare for upcoming elections. The event will take place in-line with all federal, state and local health guidelines and will include a virtual option for participation.
The caucus is open to all registered and pre-registered Democrats in Sterling. Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by June 15, 2021 will be allowed to participate and run as a Delegate or Alternate. Sterling can elect three Delegates and three Alternates to the Convention.
Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals who are not elected as a Delegate or Alternate may apply to be an Add-on Delegate at the caucus or at www.massdems.org by August 6, 2021.
Those interested in getting involved with the Sterling Democratic Town Committee should contact Fionuala Dullea at griffonlula@gmail.com.