Mount Wachusett Community College e-News

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009

 

Huhtala Oil Company, J. Paul Gauvin Named 2009 Citizens of the Year

By Janice O'Connor

Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation, Inc. will honor Fitchburg businessman J. Paul Gauvin as the 2009 Harold E. Drake, Jr. Citizen of the Year, and the Huhtala Oil Company of East Templeton as the 2009 Harold E. Drake, Jr. Corporate Citizen of the Year at its annual Foundation Dinner on Nov. 4 at the Colonial Hotel in Gardner. Outstanding MWCC students who receive foundation scholarship funds also will be honored.

“Paul Gauvin and the Huhtala family exemplify the spirit of volunteerism and community service, by giving so generously of their time and their resources,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. “For decades, their acts of generosity and service have benefited countless residents throughout North Central Massachusetts. We are proud to recognize Paul Gauvin and David and Paul Huhtala as the 2009 Citizens of the Year.”

David and Paul Huhtala, in front of their 1929 Model A oil truck.

Huhtala Oil is a third generation, family-owned business that was started by Toivo Huhtala in 1945 to serve customers throughout North Worcester County and is now owned by brothers David and Paul.

Over the past 15 years, the Huhtala Oil charity golf tournament at the Gardner Municipal Golf Course has raised more than $200,000 for food pantries serving those in need in Gardner, Templeton, Hubbardston, Winchendon, Ashburnham and Athol. The tournament was launched in recognition of the company’s 50th anniversary as a way to thank customers for supporting the business, employees and their families. In addition, the company supports charitable golf tournaments for the Gardner Chamber of Commerce, Lions Clubs, Montachusett Home Care and Mount Wachusett Community College and other area schools.

“It certainly is an honor and a privilege to be considered for this award, let alone be selected for it,” Paul Huhtala said. “We have a lot of great friends and customers who support our company. We feel it’s only right to help others in the communities who have supported us ever since our grandfather opened the business 65 years ago,” he said.

“We just believe that helping others is the right thing to do,” added David Huhtala. “If you do your part in the community, it makes the world a better place to live.”

Other annual contributions by the company include $8,000 to the Jimmy Fund for cancer research; Patriots tickets to the Gardner Relay for Life cancer walk and Narragansett Regional High School football team for fundraising efforts; fuel oil to many area churches for raffle fundraisers; and two 100-gallon oil coupons for the Gardner Rotary Club auction. The company also sponsors a girls’ softball team, and assists the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts and many other organizations with monetary donations, sponsorships and oil donations.

Lifelong residents of Templeton, both Paul and David are members of Hope Lodge and Gardner Shriner Club and have volunteered with fundraising efforts for Old Sturbridge Village. In 2006, Paul, his wife Margaret and their two children, Evan and Shauna, volunteered to rebuild homes in New Orleans with their church, Cornerstone Church in Winchendon.

David Huhtala is treasurer of his local church, First Church of Templeton, and president of the Board of Directors for Baldwinville Nursing Home and a trustee of the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts. His wife, Kathie and their twin daughters, Alli and Abby, are also active volunteers in the community.

Earlier this year, Huhtala Oil received the Lions Club International Foundation Award in appreciation for sharing the Lions commitment to Worldwide Humanitarian Assistance by donating 750 gallons of oil annually to the Templeton Lions Club for its scholarship awards, for a total of 10,000 gallons to date. In 2006 David and Paul Huhtala were awarded the Rotary Four-Way Test, honoring commitment to community.

J. Paul Gauvin

Long-serving community volunteer J. Paul Gauvin is president of Henri Enterprises, a business started by his father, Henry J. Gauvin in 1950 that now comprises the Henri School of Hair Design and W.S. Beauty Supply, a wholesale beauty supply distributer for licensed professionals serving customers throughout New England. Gauvin joined the family business in 1972 after graduating from Nichols College and built up the supply division.

“I’m very humbled and proud to be considered for this prestigious award,” Gauvin said. “Community service has been a big part of my life. I really was inspired by my father, who was involved in a lot of charitable giving. It’s inspiring to help other people. By getting involved, I’ve had the opportunity to try to make a positive change in our community.”

This year will mark the 20th year Gauvin and his children have volunteered to deliver holiday dinners to the elderly and shut-ins on Christmas morning through the Salvation Army’s Meals on Wheels program. A member of the Montachusett Chapter of the Salvation Army for the past 20 years, he has served as chairman of the board of directors for the past 10 years. The main funding source of the program, the holiday kettle drive, raises $90,000 annually. The chapter also sponsors an annual auction on FATV and WPKZ 1280 to benefit the organization.

In addition to his volunteerism with the Salvation Army, Gauvin serves as chairman of the board of directors of the Center for Well Being, and serves on the boards of the Crocker Field Restoration Committee, the North Central Chamber of Commerce, Workers’ Credit Union, and the Thayer Symphony Orchestra (where he was guest conductor for its Holiday Pops in 2008). In addition, he has been a member of the Rotary Club of Fitchburg for 35 years and has been honored as the “Rotarian of the Year” and Paul Harris Fellow award several times. He also serves on the finance committee of Sacred Heart Parish in West Fitchburg, where he is also a Eucharistic minister.
Gauvin and his wife Patricia live in Fitchburg. They have four grown children, Bryan, Alicia, Jonathan and Melissa, and their first grandchild due in October.

The Harold E. Drake, Jr. Citizen of the Year Award is presented in memory of Harold E. Drake, treasurer and former president of Royal Steam Heater Co. and Lynde Hardware & Supply, Inc. The award recognizes community members who exemplify Mr. Drake’s extraordinary commitment to the North Central Massachusetts region.

Tickets to the Annual Foundation Dinner are $100 per person. A social hour will begin at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Reservations are required and may be made by contacting Jessica Connors at (978) 630-9387 or jconnors@mwcc.mass.edu.

Gardner Ale House Golf Tournament Raises $4,000 for Summer UP Youth Program

Rick Walton, owner of the Gardner Ale House, sponsored a golf tournament benefiting the Summer UP youth program administered by MWCC. Pictured with him, from left, are area students Luzairy Diaz and Edson Twal of Fitchburg High School, Nachaleen Morales of Leominster High School, Jessica Croteau and Jinelle Croteau of Gardner High School, and Denise Ramos of Leominster High School. The students worked this summer as Summer UP counselors at park sites in Fitchburg, Leominster and Gardner. (Photo by Rebeccah Sonn)

Area teens and children will be the beneficiaries of the Gardner Ale House’s first annual charity golf tournament, which raised $4,000 for the Summer UP youth program administered by Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Fitchburg and Leominster.

Gardner Ale House owner Rick Walton said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for the Sept. 14 event, which included the tournament and a variety of raffles of services and prizes offered by area businesses and organizations.

“It could not have happened without some significant donations of money and material from our vendors. It seems when there’s a charity involved, everyone gets involved,” Walton said.

MWCC’s Summer UP youth program, now in its fifth year, provides employment opportunities to teens and recreational day programs for children at park sites in each city.

“We are so pleased that the Gardner Ale House is donating the proceeds from this tournament to the Summer UP program,” said Pati Gregson, MWCC’s vice president of access and transition, which oversees the program. “It is a generous donation and will be used to directly benefit area youth by providing job training and recreational programming during the traditionally unstructured summer months. We thank Rick and the Gardner Ale House staff for a fantastic event.”

The Parker Street establishment this year became the restaurant operator at the Gardner Municipal Golf Course, where the Ale House Charity Golf Tournament is planned to be an annual event.

Summer UP provides safe recreation spaces and meals for the counselors, as well as the neighborhood children of all ages who attend the free activities at sites in Gardner, Leominster and Fitchburg. The program, designed to decrease unsafe behaviors, includes special field trips for the counselors as well as meaningful community service projects. This year, Summer UP operated park sites at Green Acres and Park Hill/Cleghorn Neighborhood in Fitchburg; Riverside and the Boys and Girls Club of North Central Massachusetts in Leominster; and Old English Village and Jackson Street Playground in Gardner. Each park site was staffed by local middle and high school students, who ran recreational programs and activities for area children under the supervision of adults from the college’s Division of Access and Transition.

The program is supported through community sponsorships, which this past year included the Ronald Ansin Foundation, the Fitchburg Police Department, Gardner and Leominster Police Departments, the Gardner Rotary Club, the Knights of Columbus #396 of Gardner, the Gardner Deep Sea Club, the Acadian Social Club of Gardner, the Circle Track Social Club of Gardner, the North Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board, and private donors.

PN program receives accreditation

Following an extensive evaluation process this past spring, MWCC’s practical nursing program was awarded five-year initial accreditation by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc.

The NLNAC and its predecessor, the National League for Nursing, has stood for standards of excellence for all types of nursing education for more than 50 years. Accreditation is based on adherence to national standards for nursing education, including Mission and Governance; Faculty; Students; Curriculum and Instruction; Resources; Integrity; and Educational Effectiveness. The PN program, a one-year certificate program that prepares students for a career as a licensed practical nurse, joins the two-year associate degree program to meet these rigorous standards.

This accomplishment is due to the efforts of many on campus, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and to the support of the college’s Board of Trustees and clinical teaching sites, said Director of Nursing Nancy Duphily. “The site visitors were very impressed with the college, the curriculum, the support students receive from student life and academic affairs, and the service learning outreach. They were impressed with the background and diverse talents of the faculty. Overall, they found the college to be very vibrant and active.”

MWCC’s PN program, offered at the Gardner and Devens campuses, provides short-term education leading to a rewarding health care career. The PN certificate is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Nursing. After passing the National Council Licensure Exam for Practical Nurses, graduates can pursue careers as Licensed Practical Nurses in hospitals, physicians’ offices, rehabilitation centers, outpatient settings, residential care facilities or in home care. College credits earned in this program may be applied toward an associate degree in nursing.

More MWCC News:

• More than 1,800 area high school students attended the annual New England Association of College Admissions Counseling (NEACAC) College Fair, sponsored by the Office of Admissions on Sept. 22. The fair is the largest college fair held in Worcester County and allows attendees to interact with representatives from more than 180 public and private colleges and universities from Maine to Alaska.

  Theatre at the Mount was awarded two DASH (Distinguished Achievement and Special Honors) Awards at this year’s Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres Gala held on Saturday, September 19 at Cary Hall in Lexington. Ninety two theatrical productions were entered in this year’s competition and awards were given in 32 categories. Theatre at the Mount’s resident technical director, Jeff Boisseau of Leominster, received the DASH Award for “Best Set Dressing” for TAM’s production of “Willy Wonka, Jr.” Doug Dame, a recent graduate of Fitchburg High School, received the DASH Award for “Best Youth Performer,” also for “Willy Wonka, Jr.”
  
  
• Professor Ondrej Castek, Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, will present for faculty and staff on Tuesday, Sept. 29 12:30-1:30 p.m. in The Murphy Room. He will share information about the culture and people of the centrally located European country of the Czech Republic and the beautiful City of Prague. He will show a short video and slides on Masaryk University and talk about his visit thus far as a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence and about other experiences.
  
  
• The Center for Democracy and Humanity will host Service Matters: Connecting Our Students with Our Community, on Thursday, Sept. 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the South Café. More than 20 local nonprofit agencies are scheduled to attend this service fair to provide students, faculty and staff with an opportunity to learn about service learning projects, internships and other volunteer opportunities within their organizations. For more information about the Center for Democracy & Humanity, go to www.mwccconnects.us
  
  
• “As We Age,” a free health fair for seniors, will take place Friday, Sept. 25 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at MWCC’s Fitness & Wellness Center. Approximately 40 business representatives and health care professionals from the northern central Massachusetts will be on hand to provide information about a variety of health and wellness topics. The events will also feature demonstrations, screenings, raffles, free samples and a ballroom dancing demonstration from 1 to 1:45 p.m. presented by Dancers of Central Massachusetts. MWCC Fitness and Wellness center offers a variety of classes designed for all ages. For more information, call (978) 630-9212.
  
  
• Central Massachusetts nonprofit agencies are invited to attend a Community Vitality Summit featuring workshops and presentations designed to help organizations thrive in this economy. Sponsored by MWCC’s Institute for Nonprofit Development - a program of the Center for Democracy and Humanity - the conference will take place Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Four Points by Sheraton, Leominster. Registrations are being accepted through Sept. 18. Hal Schippits, Ph.D. will deliver the keynote address “Living the Life You Anticipated”, regarding maintaining one’s work/life balance with a sense of humor. The conference will also feature networking and hands-on workshops on topics including public relations and public policy; leadership skills; community engagement; new media for non-techies; organizational development; and program development. The conference is geared toward executive directors, senior managers and nonprofit staff. Valued at $160 per person, the conference is available at a reduced fee of $40 through a Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Grant from the U.S. Department of Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, with additional support from the Associated Grant Makers of Boston. This registration fee includes conference attendance, continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments. Registrations can be made through Sept. 23 online at www.mwccconnects.us/vitality. For more information, please call 978-630-9163 or e-mail nonprofit@mwcc.mass.edu.
  
  
• “Dysfunctional – Passion,” an exhibition of paintings by artist Crystal Blanchflower, runs through Oct. 6 in the East Wing Gallery of the Raymond M. LaFontaine Fine Arts Center. Born and raised in Worcester county and now a resident of Salem, Blanchflower graduated from Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton. She earned an associate degree in art at Mount Wachusett Community College in 2004 and a bachelor of fine arts degree with a concentration in painting from Montserrat College of Art in Beverly in 2006. In her work, Blanchflower uses a combination of oils, acrylics, spray paints and stencil paste to create a play between flatness and space within the same work. Blanchflower’s paintings have been exhibited at galleries and art festivals throughout Massachusetts, including the Art Start Art Fest in Worcester, the Newburyport Art Fair, the Bevtown Gallery in Beverly and the Beverly Art Fest.
  
  
• Theatre at the Mount continues its 2009 season with the regional premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical spoof, Forbidden Broadway, playing October 2 through October 11. The wickedly funny roast of Broadway musicals features outrageous costumes and hilarious impressions of Broadway’s biggest stars. Each show’s lyrics have been changed, thereby putting a twist on some of Broadway’s favorites…all in a side-splitting tribute! Written by Gerard Alessandrini, Forbidden Broadway opened 27 years ago and is one of the longest running musical comedy revues in New York. The parodies and impressions come at the audience in a laughs-per-minute rate, with musical theatre spoofs of Annie, Wicked, CATS, Les Miserables, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music and more. Forbidden Broadway is playing October 2, 3, 9, 10 at 8 p.m. and October 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling the Theatre at the Mount box office at 978 632-2403, or online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu
  
  
• The enrollment center is offering Information Sessions on a number of academic programs. Upcoming sessions will take place on the following dates: Associate Degree Nursing Program: Nov. 17 from 2 to 3 p.m., Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Practical Nursing Certificate: Oct. 14 from 2 to 3 p.m., Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Dental Hygiene: Oct. 7 from 2 to 3 p.m., Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Complementary Health Care: Oct. 19 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Enrollment Center; Clinical Laboratory Science: Oct. 21 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Heywood Hospital, Laboratory Education Area; Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing: Nov. 2 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Devens campus. In addition, general information sessions and tours take place on Mondays (except holidays) at 3 p.m. at the Enrollment Center. Prospective students interested in attending a biotechnology information session should contact Tami Morin at (978) 630-9578, (TTY (978) 632-4916) or tmorin@mwcc.mass.edu. Prospective students interested in all other information sessions are asked to call the Enrollment Center at (978) 630-9110 (TTY (978) 632-4916), or send an email to admissions@mwcc.mass.edu
  
  
• Two performers from Tunefoolery, a unique and courageous group of musicians with psychiatric disabilities who perform as a way toward healing and recovery, will be on campus Monday, Oct. 5 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the South Café. Musicians Ramblin’Dan and Trudy Goodman will perform and provide education on the talents and vast capabilities of people with psychiatric disabilities, in recognition of Disabilities Awareness Month. The event is sponsored by the Student Life Office and the Office of Students with Disabilities.
  
  
• Theatre at the Mount is offering a Theatre Dance Workshop for teens called “The 10 Steps Every Theatre Kid Should Know,” on Saturday, Oct. 24. This program will teach the basics of musical theatre dance and choreography by introducing the fundamentals such as turns, kicks and jazz squares and is appropriate for dancers of all levels. Theatre at the Mount choreographer and TAMY judge Chris Casello will lead the workshop. Students may register for either the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. session, or the 1 to 3 p.m. session. The cost is $20. Space is limited and online registrations are currently being accepted at www.theatre.mwcc.edu. For additional information, contact Professor Gail Steele at 978-630-9162.