MWCC's weekly e-newsletter

Click here to order tickets for the Hurricane Katrina benefit concert featuring the Ethan Stone Band Friday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. in MWCC's theatre. General admission tickets are $15. Student tickets are $10. Ethan Stone is debuting the first single, "Too Late," on his upcoming CD at the concert, with 40 percent of the proceeds going toward the beneficiary, Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative.

Friday, Jan. 6, 2006

MWCC HOSTS SECOND WORCESTER DISTRICT CANDIDATES DEBATE

By Kimberly B. Caisse

A standing-room-only crowd of over 100 gathered in the commons area of the Gardner campus for the first of two candidates debates in the race for the Second Worcester District seat on Thursday, Jan. 5. The debate was co-sponsored by the college and The Gardner News.

	President Asquino moderates the debate between, from left, Jonathan Dennehy, Robert Rice, Michael Ellis, Dennis Venuto and Michael McCallum.

President Daniel M. Asquino moderated both debates.

Running on the Democratic ticket are Michael Ellis, president of the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce, Michael McCallum, a member of Ashby’s Board of Selectmen, and Robert Rice, Gardner’s assistant city solicitor and partner in the law firm Ward, Walsh & Rice. They will face off in a primary election on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

The winner of that election will campaign against Republican candidate Jonathan Dennehy, a member of the Ashburnham Board of Selectmen, and Independent Dennis Venuto, a self-employed contractor who is running as a write-in candidate. The special election is Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The candidates answered questions about local aid, education, economic development, health care and the initiatives they would work on if elected.

The next debate will be held on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the commons area.

MWCC HURRICANE KATRINA BENEFIT CONCERT JAN. 13

By Kimberly B. Caisse

As part of its Decade for Civic Engagement initiative, MWCC will play host to a performance of the local Ethan Stone Band on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. Designed to benefit Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, the show will also feature local musician Ray Hendricks.

	As this photo of a devastated Long Beach, Mississippi, restaurant shows, residents of the Gulf Coast are starting to rebuild with a sense of hope and humor. The Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative is responding the crisis by giving free care and medicine. MWCC’s benefit concert will help cover some of these costs. Buy your tickets today.

Proceeds from this event will benefit a group of 12 health care clinics in Mississippi providing medical care to many people affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative (SeMRHI) will be the beneficiary. The clinics are treating Mississippi residents who are rebuilding their lives following the hurricane and those who were displaced by the disaster.

General admission tickets are $15 each. Student tickets are $10 each. Tickets are on sale now:
• By calling the Theatre at the Mount box office at (978) 632-2403
• Via the Internet at whatsup.mwcc.edu
• At the Theatre at the Mount box office, located at MWCC’s Gardner campus, 444 Green St.
• At the door the night of the show

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. the evening of the show.

The concert is being cosponsored by the Hurricane Relief Committee, the MWCC Alumni Association, C.A.R.S. and The Eagle 99.9. MWCC students will be selling concessions and holding a raffle, with proceeds benefiting SeMRHI.

CONCERT BENEFICIARY INFORMATION:
SeMRHI, based in Hattiesburg, Miss., is 60 miles north of the Gulf Coast. It is considered the hub of New Orleans, Gulfport, Miss., and Mobile, Ala. Hurricane Katrina damaged many of the clinics. Two centers had a lot of water damage, and all of their flooring had to be replaced. Other repairs still have to be done.

SeMRHI’s chief financial officer, Hope Braley, said they have provided over $150,000 of free care and given away at least another $150,000 in medication and supplies since Hurricane Katrina hit. SeMRHI is treating the coastal population of Mississippi and people from New Orleans. They’re also caring for many people with HIV.

The director of MWCC’s Healthcare Pathways program, Robin Duncan, met Braley at a training program at UCLA last summer. When Hurricane Katrina struck, Braley sent an email message to the people she met during the program pleading for their help. Because of this personal connection, MWCC’s Hurricane Relief Committee decided the college would “adopt” this group of health clinics.

CONCERT PERFORMERS INFORMATION:
The Ethan Stone Band, based in Athol, plays a variety of rock music: new material by Coldplay, Audioslave, Radiohead, Beck, Ben Folds, Lifehouse, Staind, and more; classic rock by Santana, The Allman Brothers, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and many more; and Ethan Stone’s original tunes. Joining Ethan Stone will be guitarist Vanessa Gallagher of Atlanta, guitarist Chris “Captian” Coombs, keyboardist, percussionist and acoustic guitarist Adam Bergeron and bassist Chris Goldman. "Too Late," the debut single from Ethan Stone's upcoming "A Different Way" full-length CD, will be released soon to radio. To learn more, visit www.ethanstonemusic.com. Guitarist Vanessa Gallagher, guitarist Chris “Captian” Coombs, multi-instrumentalists Chris Goldman and Adam Bergeron.

A songwriter and charismatic live performer, vocalist/acoustic guitarist Ray Hendricks will be joined by guitarist Pat Patterson, bassist Chris O'Brien and drummer Dan Thompson. They all reside in the Athol area. Hendricks’ musical influences include George Benson, Marvin Gaye, John Mayer, and especially his own father, Weldon Hendricks, a jazz guitarist. Described as a cross between Ben Harper and Tracy Chapman, his first radio release "Coattails of Love" has received heavy radio airplay on independent and college radio in New England and beyond. The band's upcoming full length album, "Beyond the Basement," is scheduled for release in late winter 2006.

THEATRE AT THE MOUNT KICKS OFF 2006 SEASON
WITH ‘BIG RIVER’ IN FEBRUARY

Theatre at the Mount kicks off its 2006 season with “Big River, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in late February. Season tickets for all five shows are only $65 and are on sale now.

Propelled by the foot-stomping music of Roger Miller, the Tony Award winning “Big River” creates a distinctive musical landscape blending country, folk, blues and gospel. Journey down the mighty Mississippi in this rousing adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic, as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom at the mouth of the Ohio River. Performances of “Big River” are Friday, Feb. 24, Saturday, Feb. 25, Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 5 at 2 p.m.

The summer begins with one of Broadway’s hottest, Tony Award winning, new musicals – “Urinetown.” In an attempt to regulate water consumption, Urinetown has outlawed the use of private toilets. The citizenry must use public, pay-per-use amenities owned and operated by the corrupt and iron-fisted Caldwell B. Cladwell. Will a citizens’ revolution succeed? Can true love be found in Urinetown? These questions and more are answered in the uproariously funny and irreverent new musical, “Urinetown.” Shows will run on Friday, June 23, Saturday, June 24, Friday, July 7 and Saturday, July 8 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 9 at 2 p.m.

In August, Theatre at the Mount will bring the Who’s landmark hit, “Tommy!” to Gardner. Pete Townshend’s acclaimed rock opera chronicles a “deaf, dumb, blind kid” who becomes a pinball wizard, breaks free of his past, starts a religious movement and discovers what’s really important in life. The electrifying score is timeless with hits like “See Me, Feel Me,” “I’m Free,” “Tommy Can You Hear Me?” and, of course, “Pinball Wizard!” This incredible blockbuster will be performed on Friday, Aug. 11, Saturday, Aug. 12, Friday, Aug. 18 and Saturday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. and Sundays Aug. 13 and Aug. 20 at 2 p.m.

The fall is highlighted by Michael Frayn’s hilarious comedy “Noises Off.” This uproarious romp follows the on and off stage antics of an inept acting troupe as they go from bumbling dress rehearsal to disastrous closing night. Everything that can go wrong does, as actors try to hang on to their lines, their performances and the furniture. Add a slippery plate of sardines and slamming doors, and you have the most side-splitting comedy ever written. Show dates for “Noises Off” are Friday, Oct. 6, Saturday, Oct. 7, Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m.

“A Broadway Christmas” comes to Theatre at the Mount to conclude the 2006 season. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” and this holiday revue has something for everyone! A full sleigh of Broadway songs will be performed, including “We Need a Little Christmas” from the musical “Mame,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Toyland” from “Babes in Toyland” and many more. Show-stopping dance numbers and a visit from Santa will add spice to this holiday treat. “A Broadway Christmas” runs Friday, Dec. 1, Saturday, Dec. 2, Friday, Dec. 8 and Saturday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. and Sundays Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.

To purchase season tickets or request a season brochure, call the Theatre at the Mount box office at (978) 632-2403. Tickets may also be purchased online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu.

Other MWCC News :

• MWCC’s School of Health Sciences and Family Pharmacy in Gardner are co-sponsoring information sessions on the new Medicare D benefit for area senior citizens on Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. in room 248 of the Gardner campus. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the new prescription drug benefit offered through Medicare. To register, contact Gayle Jaillet at (978) 630-9265 or gjaillet@mwcc.mass.edu.

• Baseball clinics at the Fitness & Wellness Center at MWCC, directed by Peter Slattery, begin Sunday, Jan. 8 and end Sunday, Feb. 26. Clinics are offered for children of all ages. Each session is limited to an enrollment of 32 and meets six times. The cost is only $45 per player. Fitness Center members are eligible for a 10 percent discount. Call the Fitness & Wellness Center at (978) 630-9212 to register.

• The Fitness & Wellness Center also will hold another four-week session of preschool yoga starting Monday, Jan. 9. Preschool children, ages 3-6, learn the power of movement and breath through music, games and simple yoga positions. Yoga games can help children balance and manage their emotions and to understand the emotions of others. Classes are $30 for members; $42 for nonmembers. Call the Fitness & Wellness Center at (978) 630-9212 to register today.

• The Fitness & Wellness Center is hosting several sessions of “Healthy Mind Healthy Body…Making the Connection,” a presentation by Jeff St. Laurent, for people wondering how to unleash their best year ever in 2006. St. Laurent is the founder of JSL Coaching as well as a nationally recognized trainer, speaker and coach. Presentations will be held Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 14 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.; and Tuesday, Jan. 17 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The cost is only $27 for Fitness Center members and $30 for nonmembers. To register, call the Fitness Center at (978) 630-9212.

• MWCC will play host to a performance of the local Ethan Stone Band on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. Designed to benefit Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, the show will also feature local musician Ray Hendricks. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative (SeMRHI), a group of 12 health care clinics in Mississippi. The clinics are treating Mississippi residents who are rebuilding their lives following Hurricane Katrina and those who were displaced by the disaster. General admission tickets are $15 each. Student tickets are $10 each. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. the evening of the show. Tickets are on sale now:
? By calling the Theatre at the Mount box office at (978) 632-2403
? Via the Internet at www.mwcc.edu
? At the Theatre at the Mount box office, located at MWCC’s Gardner campus, 444 Green St.
? At the door the night of the show

• The Institute for Nonprofit Development at MWCC will host the Many Hats Discussion “The Drucker Self-Assessment” Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. in the Murphy Conference Room at the college’s Gardner campus. The workshop is free and for institute members only. The basis of the Drucker Self-Assessment Tool is five questions every successful organization should be able to answer: What is our mission? Who is our customer? What does the customer value? What are our results? What is our plan? To register or to become a member of the institute, contact Joanne Foster at jfoster@mwcc.mass.edu.

• MWCC’s new Center for Democracy & Humanity and The Gardner News will co-sponsor a candidates debate for the 2nd Worcester District special election on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. (The special election is on Feb. 7.) The debate will take place in the commons area of MWCC’s main campus. The public is encouraged to attend. Admission is free. For more information, contact Kimberly B. Caisse at MWCC at (978) 630-9547 or Gardner News Evening Managing Editor Stewart Norwood at (978) 632-8000.

• Golf lessons, directed by Mike Eagan, a PGA professional, will begin the week of Feb. 27 at the Fitness & Wellness Center. Participants need to bring their own clubs. The Fitness Center also has clubs available. Beginner, intermediate and advanced sessions will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:15 or 8:15 p.m. The cost is only $85 per session. Fitness & Wellness Center members are eligible for 10 percent discount. To register, call the Fitness Center at (978) 630-9212.

• Register now for softball clinics for girls ages seven to 12 offered by the Fitness & Wellness Center. Directed by Galaxy U14 and U12 coaches, the sessions will cover fundamentals of hitting, fielding and pitching in the game of women’s softball. Clinics will be held on Sundays March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2. The cost is only $60. Call the Fitness Center at (978) 630-9212 to register.

To receive weekly updates via e-mail, subscribe to our listserv by sending an email to: publications-on@listserv.mwcc.edu.

top of page