Congregational Church of Phillipston, U.C.C.

60 The Common

Phillipston, MA 01331

January 2016

Phillipston

Community

Newsletter

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STAMP

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The Phillipston Congregational Church, U.C.C.

Our Community Church

Sunday Service at 10:00 a.m. Sunday School begins at 10:00 a.m.

Dear Friends,

In the darkness of midwinter, I remember the Epiphany, the light the Wisemen

followed to find Jesus and I share this poem with you. May God's light shine

brightly in your lives in the coming year.

An Epiphany poem (January 6) by Gerhard Frost

If I am asked

what are my grounds for hope,

this is my answer:

Light is Lord over darkness,

Truth is Lord over falsehood,

Life is Lord over death.

Of all the facts I daily live with,

There are none more comforting

than this: If I have two rooms,

one dark, the other light,

and I open the door between them,

the dark room becomes light

without the light one becoming darker.

I know this is no headline,

but it is a marvelous footnote;

and God comforts me in that.

Your sister in Christ,

Rev. Stephanie C. Flynn

THE NEWSLETTER IS ON www.phillipston.com February 2016 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE IS January 23

rd

TOWN OF PHILLIPSTON

Office of the Town Clerk

50 The Common

Phillipston, Massachusetts 01331

Phone (978) 249-1733

townclerk@phillipston-ma.gov

MAIL IN DOG LICENSE FORM (Licenses are issued January 1

st)

COMPLETE THIS FORM AND SEND WITH PAPER WORK LISTED BELOW:

(to the above address)

Note: $ 5.00 Late fee after April 1st 1. Current Rabies Certificate

$25.00 Fine after May 1st 2. Spaying/Neutering Certificate

All dogs not licensed $50.00 fine 3. Stamped Self addressed Envelope

(fees & fines must be paid before licensing will occur) 4. Check made payable to the Town of

Phillipston

OWNER’S NAME:_____________________________________________

ADDRESS:____________________________________________________

PHONE:_______________ Dog owners over the age of 70 may register their dog for free

(Licenses will be processed & mailed as received) The owner’s age will be verified against

street listing

Dog #1 – Dog’s Name: ______________________________ Dogs Age: ___________

Breed: ________________________________________Color: ______________________

Check one: Male $15.00_____ Neutered Male $10.00______ Service Dog or Owners

Female $15.00____Spayed Female $10.00______ Over 70yrs n/c________

Dog #2 – Dog’s Name: ______________________________ Dogs Age: ___________

Breed: ________________________________________Color: ______________________

Check one: Male $15.00_____ Neutered Male $10.00______ Service Dog or Owners

Female $15.00____Spayed Female $10.00______ Over 70yrs n/c________

Dog #3 – Dog’s Name: ______________________________ Dogs Age: ___________

Breed: ________________________________________Color: ______________________

Check one: Male $15.00_____ Neutered Male $10.00______ Service Dog or Owners

Female $15.00____Spayed Female $10.00______ Over 70yrs n/c________

Symptoms of rabies may include unexplained aggression, impaired locomotion, varying

degrees of paralysis, and extreme depression or viciousness. Individual animals maybe

affected in different ways. Some animals will display the well known “vicious” form, while

others, displaying the “dumb” form, will merely appear sick or dazed and become very

lethargic. Once an animal begins to show signs of rabies it is likely to die within 5 days.

Town Clerk Office Hours: Mondays 8:00am to 9:00pm – Wednesday 12:00pm to 7:00pm-

1st Sat of Month 8-11am

Town Clerk:

Karin Foley t

tavio Canu

Phillips Free Public Library

25 Templeton Rd (978) 249-1734

Library Hours: Monday 5-8pm, Tuesday, 9am-2pm Saturday 9am-11am

Board of Trustees Meeting: Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 6pm

New Books

Some of our new books this month include: “The Crossing” by Michael Connelly, “After

Alice” by Gregory Maguire, “Fates and Furies” by Lauren Goff, “Princes at War” by

Deborah Cadbury, “See Me” by Nicholas Sparks, “ Commander in Chief” by Tom Clancy,

“The Guilty” by David Baldacci, “Winter Stroll” by Elin Hilderbrand, and “Make Me” by

Lee Child.

New Children's books include: “Dork Diaries: Tales from a not-so-fabulous life” and “Dork

Diaries: Tales from a not-so-perfect pet sitter” by Rachel Russell, and “Atvs and Off-

roaders” by Bobbi Kalman

New Movies

Come by and check out our new movies! “Trainwreck”, “Jurassic World” and “Doc Martin,

Season 1 & 2

Story Hour

Preschool Story Hour takes place every Tuesday morning at 10:30! Join this fun group for

stories, crafts and snacks!!

Book sale Corner

Stop by and check out our Book sale Corner for great bargains on a wide selection of books!

Book Club

Call the library to reserve a copy of our latest read, and join in a lively discussion group!

You're never too old,

too wacky, too wild,

to pick up a book

and read to a child.

-Dr. Seuss

The Phillipston Fire & EMS Association and the Phillipston Lions Club wish to express their

sincere appreciation to those who donated to the Holiday Toy Drive. It was our strongest

response in years and many needy children had a very happy holiday as a result. Your

support is truly inspiring and heart-warming.

On Tuesday, February 16, 2016, the Phillipston Fire Department will again offer a luncheon

for seniors at 12 noon at the Fire Station. A "Trip and Fall" presentation will follow. Please

rsvp to Kristin at the Fire Station at (978) 249-6302 or fireadmin@phillipston-ma.gov.

Phillipston Community Preservation Committee The Phillipston Community Preservation Committee recommends grant awards for community housing, historic preservation and open space and recreation at Town Meeting. We invite the public to apply for funding for projects that may meet the criteria for the grants. Applications for the next grant cycle are now available in the Phillipston Town Hall and online at http://www.phillipston-ma.gov/ under Documents. We request that the guidelines are carefully followed. Project funding applications must be received by Tuesday, February 3, 2015 to be considered at the next Annual Town Meeting.

TOWN OF PHILLIPSTON - PUBLIC HEARING FY16Community Development Block Grant Application

The Phillipston Board of Selectmen will conduct a public hearing on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 7:15

p.m. in their meeting room in the Town Hall, 50 The Common, Phillipston, Mass., to discuss the town's

proposed joint application with the Town of Royalston to the FY16 Massachusetts Small Cities

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The Towns propose applying for up to $1

million for joint architectural barrier removal, infrastructure or housing rehabilitation projects, and may

include other eligible planning, affordable housing, infrastructure or public social service projects as

funding allows. The target area is the entire Town of Phillipston and the entire Town of Royalston.

Interested persons and organizations are encouraged to attend, and will have the opportunity to

comment and be heard on the proposed application. reasonable accommodation will be attempted upon

written request to the Selectmen's office prior to the meeting, telephone (978) 249-6828. The meeting

room is handicapped accessible.

By: Phillipston Board of Selectmen

Senior Lunch Menu for January

Jan. 5th Escarole soup, BBQ pork, hamburg roll, O'Brien potatoes, mandarin oranges.

Jan. 19th Meatballs with Hawaiian sauce, brown rice pilaf, California vegetable blend, apple

cinnamon muffin.

Please call by the Sunday before the meal if you are planning on attending. 978-939-4086.

The Templeton Senior van is available for transportation to medical appointments and

shopping. Please call the dispatcher at 978-894-2787 by 12:30 the day before you need the

van. It is first come first served so call as soon as you book an appointment.

Safe Winter Driving Winter driving can be hazardous and scary, especially in northern regions that get a lot of snow and ice. Additional preparations can help make a trip safer, or help motorists deal with an emergency. This sheet provides safety information to your residents to help prevent motor vehicle injuries due to winter storms. The three P’s of Safe Winter Driving: PREPARE for the trip; PROTECT yourself; and PREVENT crashes on the road.

PREPARE Maintain Your Car: Check battery, tire tread, and windshield wipers, keep your windows clear, put no-freeze fluid in the washer reservoir, and check your antifreeze. Have On Hand: flashlight, jumper cables, abrasive material (sand, kitty litter, even floor mats), shovel, snow brush and ice scraper, warning devices (like flares) and blankets. For long trips, add food and water, medication and cell phone. Stopped or Stalled? Stay in your car, don’t overexert, put bright markers on antenna or windows and shine dome light, and, if you run your car, clear exhaust pipe and run it just enough to stay warm. Plan Your route: Allow plenty of time (check the weather and leave early if necessary), be familiar with the maps/ directions, and let others know your route and arrival time. Practice Cold Weather Driving! * During the daylight, rehearse maneuvers slowly on ice or snow in an empty lot. * Steer into a skid. * Know what your brakes will do: stomp on antilock brakes, pump on non-antilock brakes. * Stopping distances are longer on water-covered ice and ice. * Don’t idle for a long time with the windows up or in an enclosed space.

PROTECT YOURSELF * Buckle up and use child safety seats properly. * Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of an air bag. * Children 12 and under are much safer in the back seat.

PREVENT CRASHES * Drugs and alcohol never mix with driving. * Slow down and increase distances between cars. * Keep your eyes open for pedestrians walking in the road.

* Avoid fatigue – Get plenty of rest before the trip, stop at least every three hours, and rotate drivers if possible. * If you are planning to drink, designate a sober driver.

A Reminder to Dog Owners Dog Licenses Expire the last day of December.

The new dog tags and licensees are available at this time in the Town Clerk’s Office

All dogs must be licensed after 6 months of age

Dogs must have an up to date rabies vaccination

(New licenses are issued every year in January)

No owner or keeper of a dog shall permit such animal to run at large except on his own

premises.

(Run at large – means free of restraint and permitted to wander on private or public ways and

property)

All dogs shall be restrained on a leash or under immediate control of its owner or

keeper.

(Dogs running at large maybe impounded and a citation will be issued and a fee of $50.00

will be charged plus

$15.00/day board – and if the dog is unlicensed another fee of $50.00 will be charged)

This year the dog officer will be issuing citations to owners of unlicensed dogs. The

citation will instruct the owner to appear before the Selectmen or to the Court House to

pay their fine.

Also remember that your neighbors may not want your dog running through their yard

We have a small town here and it’s very hard to take care of all the complaints so

try to be a good dog owner and obey the rules.

Census Forms Have been mailed Please remember to list every member of your household and make any necessary changes. If you have not received a census form please contact the Town Clerk’s

Office by calling 978-249-1733. Please return them promptly it is very helpful to the Town Clerk’s Office. Thank You!

2016 Phillipston Rabies Clinic

DATE: January 9, 2016

TIME: 12:00pm to 2:00pm

PLACE: Phillipston Safety Complex

State Road (Rte 2A)

Phillipston, MA 01331

Fees: To be announced

All Towns Welcome!

*****Please have all dogs on leashes, cats in carriers

and bring any paperwork as proof of prior vaccinations!*****

Note: The Town Clerk will be in her office at the Town Hall for dog licenses from 12:00pm

to 2:00pm

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR 3/01/2016 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

Check your party status Online Voter registration Now Available

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin is pleased to announce that online voter registration is available in the Commonwealth through the portal launched by his office. This important advancement will make registration easier and more convenient as well as cut costs relating to the printing of voter registration forms. Massachusetts citizens can apply online by visiting Secretary Galvin’s website at www.sec.state.ma.us and clicking the “Massachusetts Register to Vote Online” button to access the online application system. Any Massachusetts citizen who has a valid identification card issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles will be able to use the online system to apply to register to vote, update their address or change their party enrollment. Massachusetts citizens who do not have identification issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles can still complete an application online which they can print, sign and mail or hand-deliver to their local election official. With the Presidential Primary only 3 months away on March 1st, 2016, now is the time to visit Secretary Galvin’s website to check your voter registration status and make any updates as necessary. All voter registration changes need to be done 20 days before the election on March 1st. The closing date for registration and party changes is February 10th, 2016. Choosing to Enroll in a Political Party: There are four political parties in Massachusetts: Democratic Party (D), Green-Rainbow (J), Republican Party (R),United Independent Party (CC) If you enroll in any of these four parties you may vote only in that party’s primary. Choosing No Enrollment in a Political Party: If you do not wish to enroll in a party, check the box next to “(No Party unenrolled)” on the voter registration form. If you do not enroll in a party, you may still vote in state and presidential primaries by choosing a party ballot and will remain unenrolled, which is commonly referred to as “independent.” Don’t be surprised on March 1st when checking into vote, check your party ahead of time using the on-line site “Massachusetts Register to Vote On-line” located at www.sec.state.ma.us You can also contact the Town Clerk’s Office and check your register to vote status.

e-mail townclerk@phillipston-ma.gov or call 978-249-1733. There is voter registration

forms also available at the Town Hall 24/7 located on the front of the building by the mail

slot. The convenient mail slot allows you to drop your voter registration right off.