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House Restores Workforce Training Fund

State Rep. Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) announced that $12.5 million to the Workforce Training Fund has been restored. The fund provides employers with grants aimed at educating and training existing members of the workforce and new hires.

“This funding directly impacts a number of people and businesses in the 5th Worcester District, and has been a successful program.” stated Representative Gobi.

In order to reinstate the $12.5 million in funding, the House overrode a gubernatorial veto. The legislature’s conference committee budget which passed last month provided $24 million for the Workforce Training Fund. The House’s veto override restored the funding for Workforce Training grants to the level of $24 million.

Through the beginning of this year, more than $175 million in grants have been awarded to train almost a quarter-million workers through the Workforce Training Fund.

Barre Man Challenges Rep. Gobi

Rodney A. Josephson said he is officially on the ballot for state representative in the 5th Worcester District. 

The seat is held by state Rep. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer. Barre, Brookfield, Hardwick, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Petersham, Phillipston, Spencer, Templeton, Ware and West Brookfield make up the district. 

Mr. Josephson, 45, a conservative Republican, said he believes in less government. An issue in his campaign will be jobs. The government should support small business to create new jobs, Josephson said. 

“Government does not and cannot manage money effectively in most cases and thus their powers must be reduced.” 

He attended elementary school in Worcester and graduated from high school in Ontario, Calif. He has an associate’s degree in marketing, a bachelor’s degree in business administration, certified in neurolinguistic programming as a trainer and is a certified nursing assistant/home health care aide.  

Mr. Josephson has worked in the U.S. and internationally and has more than 29 years of leadership, management, training and production experience and has worked with government officials on infrastructure and development projects.  He is a single parent with three children ages 10, 14 and 15.

He believes in “helping society and improving how the system works so that each person can succeed.”  Election day is Nov. 2,  Josephson's 46th birthday. 

For information about the campaign, visit www.rodneyforstaterep.com or call (774) 200-6728.

Don't Believe a Word You Read in Your E-mail

Flurry of Spam Targets the FBI

Consumers continue to be inundated by spam purportedly from the FBI. As with previous spam attacks, the latest versions use the names of several high ranking executives within the FBI and even the IC3 to attempt to defraud consumers.
"It's a scam. We don't send e-mail to people. If we want someone, we just show up at their house," an FBI spokesman in Boston said. Another likely scam showed up in the inbox today, this one claiming to be from the IRS and offering a chance to claim a small tax refund.  But the web site link to claim the refund appears to be in Czechoslovakia, hardly and IRS address.

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Barre Food Bank Shops Locally

The Barre Food Bank at Christ Episcopal Church in South Barre has launched a program it hopes will provide food and support local farms at the same time. The food bank is issuing "Barre Bucks" which are redeemable at local farms, the Saturday farmers' market and farm stands. The $5 denomination food cards can be used to buy fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy, meat and other food items from participating local merchants.

David Petrovic of the Food Bank program, said the goal is to offer healthy locally produced food items to Food Bank clients. Clients meeting other income guidelines for food stamps or the WIC program would likely qualify for Barre Bucks, he said. Farms and merchants will redeem the cards they accept for face value at the food bank. For information, call the food bank program at 978-355-4519 or 355-4061

Life's List of Things That Have Names 
But We Don't Know What They Are ...

Look. Right There. On the ends of your shoe laces. What are those little plastic things called? Dave knows. They are called Aglets -- From the French aguilette - meaning a point. Now you can say, "Hey, I think I'll go to the store and buy a box of aglets. And maybe a pound of mullions while I am at it."

Photo albums are all right here.

 

Ashburnham Republican Challenges Brewer

Daniel Dubrule of Ashburnhan announced he is running against State Sen. Stephen Brewer in this fall's election.  The Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Senatorial District covers 29 towns and includes Barre, Petersham and Orange.

Announcing his bid for election Dubrule said he hopes to balance one-party rule in Boston, fight for lower taxes and against wasteful state spending and foster economic growth. He was born in1967 and graduated from Leominster High Scholl in 1987. He sells insurance and is a former state corrections officer, and served eight years in the US Army reserves. He is a member of the Ashburnham Republican Town Committee and has attended GOP Conservative campaign academies. He is a member of the American Veterans (AMVETS), the Catholic War Veterans, the National Rifle Assn., Citizens for Limited Taxation, the Ashburnhan Lions Club, the Massachusetts and New Hampshire Independence Day Tea Party and the state and national GOP.

For more information, visit www.StateSenatorMa.com or write to the Daniel D. Dubrule Committee, P.O. Box 336, Ashburnham, MA 01430 or call (978)-827-0326.

Brewer Announces 65th Citizens' Legislative Seminar

Sen. Stephen M. Brewer (D-Barre) recently announced that the sixty fifth Citizens’ Legislative Seminar will be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 and Wednesday, October 20, 2010 from 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM.

This program is designed to familiarize citizens first-hand with the workings of the Massachusetts Legislature. The  Seminar was established in 1976 through a joint effort of the Massachusetts State Senate and the University of Massachusetts. This two day program will allow participants to examine the legislative process and listen to presentations from Senators as well as Representatives.
“I urge citizens interested in learning more about the State Legislature to enroll in this highly informative program,” said Brewer. “I have consistently received positive feedback on the seminar. I take pride in nominating representatives from my district to participate in each session.”

Constituents residing in the Worcester, Hamden, Hampshire and Franklin Senate District,  can contact Meghan Kelly of Senator Brewer’s office by telephone at (617) 722-1540. The deadline for nominees is September 17, 2010. Space is limited.

Unemployment Offices Swamped by Claimants

Massachusetts' Unemployment Offices and its claims processing system are groaning under the burden of high call volumes from people seeking unemployment information and benefits.

The Department has posted the following notice on its website: Due to an extremely high volume of calls, especially on Sunday through Tuesday, you may experience a busy signal when calling the DUA TeleClaims Center or TeleCert Line. If you cannot get through, please try again: the best times to call are after 2:00 pm and later in the week. Please be assured that no one will lose benefits because of the delays in getting through.  As a reminder, weekly benefits can be claimed through the end of each week (Friday at 7:00 p.m.) by using the phone or web.

A staff person in the Gardner unemployment office said it is taking four to six weeks to get unemployment checks into the hands of jobless residents and had no answer to give when asked what a jobless person should do for money between  last paycheck and first unemployment check. A staffer in State Sen. Brewer's office in Boston said, "Unemployment, given that the rate has soared, is extremely busy. We are doing the best we can to work through it."

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Berry, Liesiuk Finished Fifth in 45th River Rat Event

9th Annual Garlic & Arts Festival

The 9th Annual Garlic & Arts Festival in Orange was held Sept. 15 and 16 to help showcase North Quabbin organic, alternative energy and crafts enterprises. See the photos.

The Opinion Page | Conserving Land in our Region

Digital Brochures from roynilson.com

What's Going On?  | The Quabbin Reservoir

"Great Plates, Eat Out."

Millers River Environmental Center

HONK if you love Bob and Ray 

 

Things to Do in the North Quabbin Region

The North Quabbin Woods Project  now provides a pretty good calendar of events. Find the info here. Or list your own event Here for Free. What's going on?