MWCC's weekly e-newsletter

Friday, Sept. 9, 2005

MOUNT WACHUSETT COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION NAMES
JIM GARRISON CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

By Kimberly B. Caisse

Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation, Inc. will honor Jim Garrison, president and CEO of Instron Corp. in Norwood, as the 2005 Harold E. Drake Jr. Citizen of the Year Award recipient at the Annual Foundation Dinner Thursday, Sept. 29 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Conference Center in Fitchburg. Outstanding MWCC students who receive foundation scholarships also will be honored.

	Jim Garrison

In his five years of service to MWCC as a member of the Board of Trustees, Garrison in particular has been an advocate for the college’s early childhood education program. “With Jim Garrison’s support for the college’s first-ever capital campaign, our dream to build a state-of-the-art early childhood education center will now become reality for our students and many young children,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. “It’s one more example of his dedication to our community.”

Garrison, of Acton, has been involved in the North Central Massachusetts community since he started H&R 1871 in Gardner in 1990. He has served on the board of the Greater Gardner United Way, including the position of campaign chairman; as a member of the Rotary Club, including its treasurer; the board of the Gardner Industrial Development Corporation and Foundation; the Heywood Hospital Board of Trustees; the audit committee of GFA Federal Credit Union; the Nashoba Valley Council Boy Scouts of America; and the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts. He also has supported Heywood Hospital’s 2000 fund drive and the Thayer Symphony Orchestra.

“From the very first day, I recognized that it was critical to the community and the workforce as part of the community that I get involved,” Garrison said. “It all came in what I would say was maybe a week. I was visited by Tuck Nichols. He walked in and said it was great to see me and would I get involved.”

“His response was enthusiastic and very sincere,” said Tuck Nichols, president and CEO of Nichols & Stone in Gardner. “I knew he would be a significant contributor to the community in many ways.”

Because of his 37-year interest in early childhood education and development, Garrison contributed $300,000 toward MWCC’s capital campaign. His generous donation to the successful campaign, which raised $2.5 million, will help build the new Garrison Center for Early Childhood Education and Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety at the Gardner campus.

When serving on a school board in New Jersey in 1968, a fellow board member during a review of a local Head Start program convinced him of the importance of early childhood development programs for all children. “He said, “You create high school drop-outs in preschool and early childhood development programs, because the kids who don’t have the environmental opportunities to expand their world get into class with kids who had those opportunities…and start losing self-respect,” Garrison explained. “That’s where the most important part of education is. In order to broaden the programs, you need to increase the number of teachers.”

Garrison is the recipient of the 1993 Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year award; 1993 Gardner Rotary International Service Award, 1999 Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence Manufacturer of the Year award, 1996 National Wild Turkey Federation Manufacturer of the Year award and 1995 International Hunter Education Association Industry Award.

In addition to being the president and CEO of Instron Corp., Garrison is a member of Instron’s Board of Directors and sits on the Board of Directors of MicroGroup, Inc. of Medway.

To attend the dinner, contact Diane Hamilton at dhamilton@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9387. Tickets are $75 per person. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.

MWCC REPRESENTATIVE TO ATTEND
BIOENERGY CONFERENCE IN FINLAND

By Kimberly B. Caisse

Rob Rizzo, associate director of the Forest and Wood Products Institute at Mount Wachusett Community College, will travel to Finland Friday, Sept. 9 to present his research on an efficient biomass combustion process at the international Bioenergy in Wood Industry 2005 conference.

	Rob Rizzo

With funding from the USDA Forestry Service, Rizzo spent the past year researching the conversion of woodchips into cubes that can be burned to generate electricity and heat. Rizzo found the woodchip cubes are more efficiently combusted than loose woodchips. In addition, the cubing process extracts volatile gases from the wood, which results in a cleaner gas that can then by used to power a turbine or internal combustion engine.

Biomass provides 20 percent of Finland’s electricity. “Going over there and learning from the experts will be an incredible experience,” Rizzo said about his nine-day trip. “The Fins and all Scandinavians, they really have their act together when it comes to energy. Fossil fuel has been so expensive there for so long.”

MWCC converted from an all-electric heating system to biomass energy when it opened its biomass plant in fall 2002. MWCC has saved $661,000 in the past two years and supported a local industry. The college is under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to install and test a prototype biomass system. This will be added to the current system and is expected to more than offset the energy used by the new Garrison Center for Early Childhood Education and Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety.

The four-day conference, in Jyväskylä, Finland, will focus on the factors affecting the future of the bioenergy opportunities in fuel production, heating and power production in wood industry. Rizzo worked with the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki and the Finnish Consulate in Washington, D.C., to set up meetings with Finnish biomass entrepreneurs that will take place before and after the conference. He also will meet with U.S. economic and environmental officials stationed in Finland.

The USDA Forestry Service and Northeast Utilization and Marketing Council are making Rizzo’s trip possible.

For more information about MWCC’s use of biomass energy, contact Rizzo at rrizzo@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9137.

Upcoming Campus Events:

• MWCC's Art Department will present an exhibit of kiln-formed glass pieces by artist Lynn Latimer in the East Wing Gallery through Tuesday, Oct. 11. Latimer graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1975 with a degree in painting and started Latimer Glass Studio in Easthampton in 1976. She said, “The glass and carving allow me to combine these elements of color, images and textures. I have found inspiration in the paintings of Klee and Miro, old frescoes, the aesthetics of Japanese gardens, and more recently through exploring primitive art-carvings, textiles, and painted surfaces from around the world, as well as the subtle color shifts and patterns in hand woven rugs.” For more information, contact Professor Joyce Miller at (978) 630-9221 or jmiller@mwcc.mass.edu.

• MWCC is assisting the American Red Cross of North Central Massachusetts with its response to Hurricane Katrina. The Red Cross has expressed an immediate need for volunteers to field incoming phone calls and fill out paper work. Interested volunteers can e-mail their name and contact information to MWCC AmeriCorps VISTA Amanda Landry at alandry@mwcc.mass.edu. She will forward a list of volunteers to the Red Cross. The Red Cross will provide an orientation for prospective volunteers in the areas of need in the hurricane disaster area at the Volunteer Expo on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

• A planning committee is forming to host a fundraising effort and/or event for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The college plans to raise at least $5,000 in this effort. To join, send an e-mail to Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs Lea Ann Erickson at lerickson@mwcc.mass.edu.

• The Lifelong Learning Institute for Enrichment (LIFE) Program at MWCC is accepting submissions for the its annual writing contest in conjunction with the Writer’s Conference it will hold in October. Poetry and short fiction are the genres, and two winners will be announced, one in each genre. For more details, visit the LIFE website: life.mwcc.edu.

• MWCC’s Office of Student Life and CARS will sponsor the annual Welcome Back Fest on Wednesday, Sept. 14 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the commons area and front lawn. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the event will feature the music of the award-winning Peruvian music artist Inca Son. There also will be a barbecue, personalized baseball cards, spin art Frisbee and more. The Fest is free for MWCC students, faculty, and staff. Contact Director of Student Life Greg Clement for more information: (978) 630-9252 or gclement@mwcc.mass.edu.

• On Friday, Sept. 16, a day before national Citizenship Day, MWCC’s Office of Student Life, Financial Aid Office and Committee for Activities and Recreation for Students (CARS) will host Constitution Day with "trivia king" Morgan White Jr. White will quiz students’ knowledge about this important government document from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the South Cafeteria. During the event, the Student Government Association will be distributing pocket constitutions and running a game where students can win prizes by correctly answering questions about the Constitution. For more information, contact Director of Student Life Greg Clement at (978) 630-9252 or gclement@mwcc.mass.edu.

• MWCC will host an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Monday, Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the commons area. To sign up, visit Health Services in room 133. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, contact Marianne Stoy at (978) 630-9136.

• The Greater Gardner Community Choir will hold sign-up and first rehearsal for the fall semester on Monday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. Under the direction of Diane Cushing, the choir meets Monday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m, in room 182 at MWCC. Music for the fall semester includes classical and contemporary holiday selections such as “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” “Gesu Bambino,” “March of the Kings,” “Winter Wonderland of Snow,” “Hodie Christus Natus Est.” A holiday concert is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 16 at the college. A $20 music purchase fee is the only cost associated with joining. For more information, contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162 or gsteele@mwcc.mass.edu.

• MWCC Entrepreneurial Resource Center at the Devens campus will host a series of seminars presented by Paul Lambert starting in September. They include: “Writing Your Business Plan” from Wednesday, Sept. 14 through Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. for only $300 and “Designing Ads and Marketing Materials” on Thursday, Sept. 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. for only $40. For more information and to register, contact Lisa Derby Oden at loden@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9548.

• On Wednesday, Sept. 21, MWCC’s Admissions Office will host the annual New England Association for College Admission Counseling College Fair. The fair will run from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Fitness & Wellness Center and is open to the public. It is geared toward high school juniors and seniors from the college’s service area. Also that day, the Admissions Office will host the NEACAC Two Year College Committee’s annual luncheon entitled “Opening Doors for All Students” in the North Cafeteria. The luncheon will feature best practices for recruiting and supporting under-prepared, at-risk and disabled students. For more information, contact the Admission’s Office at (978) 630-9110 or admissions@mwcc.mass.edu.

• In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, MWCC’s Office of Student Life will host the traveling Latino Heritage Museum’s “Latino Heritage 101” exhibit, a multimedia tribute to Latinos, Hispanic scientists, inventors and other historical Hispanic pioneers, at the college’s Gardner campus on Wednesday, Sept. 21. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibition features over 100 artifacts that highlight the contributions of Latinos in the fields of science, aerospace, communication, medicine, agriculture, transportation and engineering. It also represents pioneers in politics, education, entertainment, sports, media, cinema and literature. Video documentaries round out the presentation, highlighting achievements in history not normally taught in schools. Admission is free. For directions or additional information, call Greg Clement at (978) 630-9252.

• Theatre at the Mount will offer a new series of classes for individuals who would like to learn to tap dance or to brush up their tap dancing skills. Nicole Couture, who has choreographed many TAM productions including the recent “Babes in Arms,” is the instructor for the four new classes. “Begin to Tap,” for teens grades 9 to 12 and adults with little or no tap experience, will run on Wednesday nights from 7 to 8 p.m. beginning Sept. 21. “Begin to Tap,” for students in grades 4 to 8 with little or no tap experience, will run on Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. beginning Sept. 24. For teens and adults with some tap experience, “Brush up Your Tap” will be offered from 8:15 to 9:15 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Sept. 21. “Brush up Your Tap,” for students in grades 4 through 8 with some tap experience, will be offered on Saturday mornings from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. beginning Sept. 24. Each program is 12 weeks long and costs only $100. To register, contact the Theatre at the Mount box office at (978) 632-2403 or contact Professor Gail Steele at gsteele@mwcc.mass.edu.

• MWCC will present a free seminar “Starting/Expanding Your Small Business - Today and Tomorrow” Thursday, Sept. 22, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in room 127 at the Gardner campus. Presenters represent banking, small business organizations, small business owners and the Massachusetts Bar Association Speaker’s Bureau. This free seminar will assist small business owners and those planning to start a small business with information critical for starting, growing, financing, and protecting their ideas and their business. This seminar is free, but pre-registration is requested. To pre-register, contact MWCC Enrollment Services at (978) 630-9123. For more information, contact Denise Whitney at (978) 630-9124.

• As part of the college’s Decade of Civic Engagement initiative, a debate entitled "Censorship and the First Amendment" will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 11:30 to 12:20 p.m. in the North Cafeteria. Guest speakers will include Ronal Madnick, director of the American Civil Liberties Union - Worcester chapter, Associate Professor Jim Korman, and Director of Grant Management Dr. John Fielding. The college’s new student newspaper, The Mount Observer, is co-sponsoring this event. The moderator will be Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management Ann McDonald. Panelists will discuss censorship in the academic environment, particularly in the MWCC classroom and on the web, such as in blackboard discussion groups. For more information, contact Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs Lea Ann Erickson at lerickson@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9322 or Associate Professor Susan Goldstein at sgoldstein@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9344.

Lea Ann Erickson
Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs
Mount Wachusett Community College
Phone: (978) 630-9322 Fax: (978) 630-9561
cell: (508) 517-5202
lerickson@mwcc.mass.edu

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