Jul 31, 2010, 12:20 PM
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Turners Falls, Montague Center, Millers Falls, Montague City, Lake Pleasant and beyond! This is Montague, MA!

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If you want to post a message to the corkboards PLEASE make sure that you post your message to the most appropriate group area / topic. Buy / Sell goes in the Buy / Sell area, etc, and ONLY POST IT ONCE -- do not post multiple times to each area of the website. Doing so could result in your posting rights being suspended.

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If you are posting about an event you can also go to the Montague Central calendar and post it there. It will appear in date order on the right side of every page on the website. →

 

Showing 25 | Next 25 | Display 50, 100 at a time | View by Threads

Posted by mik - Sat, Jul 31, 2010, 10:30 A

Newt Gingrich is an idiot

mik http://www.huffingto...sts-at_n_665063.html

Yeah, let's start WW3. Life isn't interesting if we're not bombing someone.

Posted by karenwerner - Sat, Jul 31, 2010, 8:13 A

Montague Farm Cafe today between 12-3pm

Today's Cafe features frittata full of sauted local veggies, plus another roasted veggie dish, from veggies harvested locally at Maplewood Farm in Amherst, and homemade coleslaw. (lunch served at 12:30) Plus other good treats like watermelon. And free wellness offerings. And great company, plus live keyboard (piano and electric organ) music starting at noon. Come for a cup of coffee, stay for the rest. We're at 177 Ripley Road in Montague. Believe it or not! This is a weekly community meal, intended to nourish all of us in body, mind, and spirit. Q's contact Karen: 367-5275.

Posted by MikeL - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 11:09 P

$48 to $63

Which should not be construed as my attempt to prove or disprove any particular point: I just didn't think the numbers were right. That doesn't mean that we don't have i$$ues, and it certainly doesn't mean that we shouldn't be talking about them!
MJL

Posted by vnatale - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 7:57 P

What is going on?

I live on Turners Falls Road in Montague Center.

About 15 minutes 2 police cars went screaming by headed towards Rau's/Book Mill (south).

Than 5 more minutes another police car went flying back.

Then after 5 more minutes first a pickup truck with flashing lights and then a Baystate ambulance went flying by.

What is going on?

Vinny

Posted by MikeL - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 7:23 P

$48 to $63

Hey Joe,
Best I can figure, the problem is in the number of FTE (full time equivalent) teachers. The state has us with 91 and I have us with 123. Dividing the total figure for salaries that the state uses (which looks correct to me) by 123, I get an average around $47k per teacher.
That seems like it might be a little low, but it's a lot closer than $63K!
We have 33 teachers making less than $47k (nine under $40k); nine between $47k and $50k; 78 between $50k and $60k; and three making over $60k
But, no matter how you slice it, the highest salary on the scale is $62,183 (there are no teachers on that step) and there's no way the average salary could be higher than the highest salary offered.
Of course, those are all base salaries. There are some add-ons like schedule "B" stipends for coaches, etc. (topping out at $2,500) and longevity bonuses starting at 15 years service in the district and rising at 5 year increments (topping out at $2,500 a year for 30+ years service.) But even if you add $5,000 to every salary, you still don't get anywhere near $63k average salary per teacher.
Now, if you add in health insurance and retirement benefits to the total salary figure and divide by 123 you get a lot closer to the $63k average, but that grand total isn't the number the DESE uses on its website.
It's got to be the FTE discrepancy.
MJL

Posted by kevinsnn - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 4:10 P

Bridge project corkboard

here is one

http://whittierbridge.mhd.state.ma.us/

Posted by clegg - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 1:49 P

Face Book Page

The Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center now have a face book page. Strangely enough called "Friends of the Great Falls Discovery".
If you have a face book account then check out our new page of events, comments and updates and by all means be a friend.


Posted by Gina - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 1:06 P

camping

Shir-roy in Richmond, NH. it's a 45 minute ride they have a nice lake with a dock that the kids can jump off.

Posted by clegg - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 12:35 P

August schedule of events

In the Great Hall
Wildlife Photography Exhibit by Glenn Cobiere
August 1 – 31, 2010


August 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29 (8:00 am – 9:30 am) Early Morning Nature Walk
Start your day off right, observing nature in Turners Falls! Early Morning Nature Walks will leisurely explore leveled paved bike trails and village sidewalks. Participants will meet outside the main entrance to the Discovery Center at 8 am. Learn about plants, animals, and mill town history along the Bike Path of Turners Falls. Please wear appropriate footwear, bring water, bug repellant, and sun screen.

August 5, 12, 19, 26, 2010 (10:30 am – 11:30 am) Kidleidoscope
A kid-friendly, hands-on environmental experience for very young children presented in a fun, age-appropriate manner. Each topic includes a story and interactive games and activities to help you and
your child understand the world around us. Thursday mornings from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Programming
recommended for ages 3-6 with a parent or guardian. Call ahead for the ‘Topic of the Week’ or stop in
the Great Falls Discovery Center to pick up a seasonal Kidleidoscope schedule.

August 6, 2010 (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm) Aquatic Invasive Species Information Session
Interested in learning about aquatic invasive species? Come learn about water chestnuts and their infestation in the CT River Watershed! Ages 12 + welcome!

August 13, 2010 (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm) Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center Coffeehouse
Kevin Smith and Hilary Graves offer an evening of Americana and family music featuring tuba, guitar and vocals. Doors open at 6:30, concert begins at 7pm. Refreshments available. The museum and Museum Store are open at intermission. Donations accepted to benefit the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center.

August 14, 2010 (2:00 pm – 8:00 pm) Turners Falls Block Party
Join the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s roving van of interpreters at the Turners Falls Block Party from 2 – 8 pm as well as the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center with their dinosaur fossil display. Learn about the Connecticut River watershed, pick up a Great Falls Discovery Center calendar of summer events, a Turners Falls bike path map, and a state parks camping guide, and get wild with hands-on nature exhibits!

August 18, 2010 (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm) Trash to Treasures
Come join us make fun newspaper necklaces and bracelets while learning about the importance of recycling and conservation! Children ages 4-9 welcome!

August 19, 2010 (7:00 pm – 9:30 pm) Come learn about something spooky!
Marie Ferre of the Gravestone Studies Association and gravestone geologist Bob Drinkwater will talk about iconography and gravestone types in local cemeteries.

August 21, 2010 (11:00 am – 1:00pm) Canoe Trip at Barton Cove
Explore Barton Cove and the Connecticut River by canoe! Look for bald eagles soaring overhead and dragonflies skimming the water. Meander and relax while observing the diverse plant and animal species present on the river. There is limited space so registration is required. Call 413-863-3221 for information on where to meet and to register.

August 22, 2010 (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm) Watershed Trees & Poets
Find out about birches from Robert Frost and apple trees from Emily Dickinson and how Wallace Stevens knows “a tree that bears / A semblance to the thing I have in mind.” Come learn about the trees of the Connecticut River Watershed and the poets here who have loved them. Consider ways to honor your own favorite tree friends through words and through conservation.

August 28, 2010 (11:00 am – 1:00 pm) Nature Journaling
Explore the natural world through careful observation and language play to wake up all of your senses! Through writing and drawing prompts and short walks along the Turners Falls bike path and Discovery Center grounds, you will experiment, see the world in new ways, and have fun! No prior writing or drawing experience necessary.

August 28, 2010 (11:00 am – 3:00 pm) Fossil Fuel for the Valley’s Fossil Roadshow
Join the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center as they help identify your mysterious rocks or fossils.

Posted by mik - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 9:04 A

Crushed stone

mik I went there once with only shovels (flat-tip, not pointed) and just backed the pickup right to the pile.

Posted by Mark1 - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 8:06 A

Crushed stone

Mark1 I've purchased several pickup loads from the pit on 116. However, they don't have bucket loaders small enough for pickup trucks so you have to load it yourself!

Bring a ramp and a wheelbarrow.

m1

Posted by Lucyhem - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 7:13 A

Crushed stone

Does anyone have a local source for crushed stone? Ed Stone does not have it. We are looking for truckload for a garden path.
Thank you
Lucy Hemmendinger

Posted by mark2 - Fri, Jul 30, 2010, 6:41 A

Check your inbox

mark2 MikeN

When you put money into a tip jar, your helping out someone who is probably making minimum wage give or take. The last I checked the democratic national party was sitting pretty fat. I know its election season, but I think it would have been better if the email said please donate to the cause, and if you want you can sign this Obama B-Day card, but don't forget the cash, and once again I am finally proud of this country " Michelle Obama's famous line".


Mark2

Posted by MikeNaughton - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 9:20 P

Check your inbox

"... it just seems so phony for Michelle Obama to ... slip in the ole donate to the cause shakedown."

Why does it seem phony? Politicians at the national level these days ask people for money All The Time. It's one of the major problems with the current system -- you need lots of money to play, and unless you have a few fat-cat donors behind you (would it better if Obama did?), then you've always got to be thinking about it. It's no more "phony" than having a tip jar next to the cash register -- you're giving people an opportunity to make a contribution, but nobody's being forced to do anything ...

Posted by mark2 - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 8:45 P

Check your inbox

mark2 MikeN

I agree with you. But it just seems so phony for Michelle Obama to send out this email to sign it and wish Obama a happy birthday, and then slip in the ole donate to the cause shakedown.

Mark2

Posted by mik - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 8:45 P

Check your inbox

mik Thus just in...

http://nyti.ms/9AMxbw

Posted by joelandry - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 8:19 P

$48 to $63

MikeL
The numbers I posted are from the MA official web site. I see there are increases but I don't know how they are calculated. You know more about than I. But it could be that younger teachers were asked to leave which would result in an increase in the average salary. The data should revile the reason for the increase.

Posted by MikeNaughton - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 8:10 P

Check your inbox

"http://cnsnews.com/news/article/70135"

Stop the presses! Stop the presses! This just in -- politicians actually ask people for money!!! Joe Citizen still reeling from the shock [insert video of random person seeing shocking headline and falling flat on their back].

You think that's bad -- I regularly get "surveys" from the Republican National Committee, because, apparently, they're really interested in my opinions (sample questions: Are you concerned about the Democrats' single-minded efforts to turn this country into a socialist prison camp? Do you support the valiant Republican efforts to preserve the few shreds of our precious freedoms that we have left?) Never mind that I am a registered Democrat living in Massachusetts -- they really want to reach out to everyone. And at the end there is _always_ a handy donation coupon to help me show how much I REALLY support their efforts. I always think long and hard about whether to send it back ... :-)

I'm sure CNSNEWS.COM has been all over that story as well, so it's old news to you. So why would anyone be surprised when Michelle Obama or any other public figure contacts a bunch of random people, they would ask for money? You don't like it? -- join the effort to get money out of politics. Until then, get used to it -- it's the world we live in ....

Posted by thegarth - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 7:41 P

camping

The DAR state forest out in Goshen is really nice too.

Posted by stash - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 3:44 P

camping

How about Laurel Lake camping area? Forest lake in Winchester N.H. Not sure on fishing lics. fees tho.. Have fun..

Posted by mark2 - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 1:03 P

Check your inbox

mark2 http://cnsnews.com/news/article/70135


Mark2


Posted by mark2 - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 12:04 P

Montague Farms

mark2 Its the chemicals that seal in the flavor, mmm mmm good. A little chemicals never hurt anybody.:)


Mark2

Posted by mark2 - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 11:55 A

Montague Farms

mark2 "Are they farming organically?" I don't know if they do or not.


Mark2

Posted by junkman - Thu, Jul 29, 2010, 8:12 A

Grant for Asst to the Sup’t

junkman "a fifth item be added to the normal four-item agenda, having to do with the district's level of per-pupil spending (which is higher than the state average, and has been used by state officials to argue that the district has plenty of money). None of the other four items involve financing, although arguably financing is the biggest problem facing the district (go figure ;-)".

Per pupil spending. I hear about choicing out and less students? I would think less students equal less money. Looking at the numbers Joelandry posted it seems outr town may be a little top heavy in terms of finances.

"Level 4". Again. I would think if the money is there so are the resources. So there is a missing link somewhere. I wonder if it may be a quality issue. And if so how do we get the reputation of cranking out better quality?


Go Green Family!

Montague Soapbox Races

The Montague Grange is looking for donations.


Band Workshop
Sat, July 31
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Box CarLlilies @ Voo
Sat, July 31
8:00 PM - 12:00 AM
SundayMorning Walks
Sun, August 1
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Montague Center Farmer’s
Mon, August 2
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Costume Party
Mon, August 2
6:30 PM - 7:45 PM
Millers Party
Tue, August 3
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Wednesday a.m. meditation
Wed, August 4
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Story Hour
Wed, August 4
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Great FallsFarmers Market
Wed, August 4
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Music & Movement
Thu, August 5
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Kidleidoscope
Thu, August 5
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Sustainable Finance 101
Thu, August 5
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Early morning walks
Fri, August 6
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Rainforest Animal Show
Fri, August 6
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Aquadic invasive
Fri, August 6
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Irish Seisiun, Live Music
Fri, August 6
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
SundayMorning Walks
Sun, August 8
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
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