Letter 1
Dear Princeton,
Welcome to the first issue of the Redemption Rock News of 2021, and my first issue here as editor-in-chief. Thank you to all of you who have welcomed me to Princeton so far, and to all Redemption Rock News readers for appreciating the importance of local news.
As the whole world works together to end the COVID-19 pandemic, time can seem to stand still while the news of the day somehow moves at one million miles per hour. When you open the Redemption Rock News, you can find the information that matters to you and your family, delivered right to your mailbox. In this issue, there is news about local schools, local businesses, the COVID vaccine rollout and how it affects Princeton residents, and more. It is a privilege and a joy to report these stories to Princeton.
Thank you for reading,
Alison Sullivan
Editor in Chief
Announcement 1: Town Election Deadlines
The last day to submit nomination papers to the Town Clerk for the 2021 Annual Town Election is March 22 at 5 p.m.
For a full list of available positions, detailed instructions, and COVID-19 safety procedures, please visit www.town.princeton.ma.us
Announcement 2: Town-Wide Cleanup in Princeton for Earth Month
Princeton’s second annual town-wide Earth Month cleanup will begin April 1, or as soon as most of the snow has melted. Organized by Princeton’s Environmental Action Committee (EAC) and Open Space Committee (OSC), the month-long cleanup honoring Earth Day on April 22 promises to be even more fun than last year, with prizes given for best photos of the cleanup, and for Most Interesting and Most Disgusting trash discoveries. The cleanup effort focuses on roadsides, parks and playgrounds, and trails.
For roadsides, residents choose sections of roads, and sign up to do the cleanup work by the end of April, on their own schedules. Residents who would like to sign up should email [email protected] with their preferred road sections, or contact one of the organizers listed below. Residents are asked to dispose of trash individually, and to report back when they’ve completed the work. Please keep count of the bags of trash you collect, so organizers can compare tallies from year to year.
For parks and playgrounds, Earth Month organizers will be asking specific groups in town to help out. Any resident or group interested in cleaning up parks or playgrounds should feel free to contact one of the organizers.
Trail clearing and cleanup will be done by a variety of volunteers. Please email the organizers if you are particularly interested in trail work.
Health and safety is a priority. Note that all cleanup is done at participants’ own risk, and it’s important to be careful on any roadway. Please visit the Earth Month page via the OSC or EAC web pages to review safety procedures, view the cleanup map, and read about the project.
Rick Gardner: [email protected] Claire Golding: [email protected] Corey Burnham-Howard: [email protected] Karen Rossow: [email protected] Laurie Kraemer: [email protected] Rick Rys: [email protected] Main email address for group: [email protected]
COURTESY: Claire Golding
Announcement 3: Wachusett Garden Club Hike
The Wachusett Garden Club is holding a Spring nature hike at Wachusett Meadows Audubon Sanctuary on Saturday, April 10, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. The hike will be led by Cindy Dunn, Assistant Sanctuary Director. Enrollment is limited so please register with the club at [email protected]. Participation is free for Princeton residents and Garden Club members. For others, there is a fee of $5.00, or $3.00 if over 65. Spring is coming so come out and enjoy it!
Announcement 4:
Wachusett Earthday will close to the public on March 22 for one week of much needed organizing and project completion. This means that there will be no public hours on either Tuesday, March 23 or Thursday, March 25.
We will reopen for business on March 30, and will be returning to our warm weather hours with the following schedule:
Tuesday: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Thursday: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
First and Third Saturday of each Month: 9:00 a.m. to noon
Wachusett Earthday will close for one week beginning March 22. There will be no public hours on Tuesday, March 23 or Thursday, March 25. We will re-open for business on March 30th for Tuesdays, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., Thursday: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. and for the first and third Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Please note that there will be a document shredding event from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 17. The first two boxes are free; additional boxes are $2.00 per box. The rest of the site will be open for drop-off.
We will have an HHP (Household Hazardous Products) collection on Saturday, April 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This will be HHP ONLY and the rest of the site WILL NOT BE OPEN.
Please visit our website at: WachusettEarthday.org for more details and for more up-to-date information about the special collections. The use of Wachusett Earthday is restricted to residents of the seven watershed towns of: Boylston, Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Sterling and West Boylston.