Age: Grades 3 to 6 - 6:00 to 7:30pm

Days: Tuesdays, March 9, 16, 23 and 30 (4 weeks)

Cost: $60.00

Location: St. Marks Field House (Armour Cage)

Instructor: Bay State Softball Academy instructor Julie Morancy who is the Algonquin Varsity Softball Coach assisted by Southborough softball coaches

This is a 4 Week Instructional Program which will include Fielding, Hitting, Pitching and Throwing. Julie will demonstrate all skills and drills to the players and coaches and work with them at each station to ensure proper execution.

Register online: https://activenet6.active.com/southboroughrec/

Mail or walk in: 21 Highland Street, Southborough, MA 01772

Photos: _____approval to publish ______do not publish

BOOK COLLECTION

Want to get rid of your used books? The Algonquin Regional High School’s literary magazine, The Sachem, is raising money through donations of new and used books, CDs, DVDs, videos, records and audio books. The group has recently placed a drop-off donation container to collect these items from community members who’d like to repurpose their used goods while also helping The Sachem raise money. The group will be paid on an ongoing basis for all items collected in their donation container.

The gray book donation container, distinguished by its purple and yellow ‘Got Books?’ signs, is located in the parking lot of the Algonquin Regional High School at 79 Bartlett St., Northborough. This program is an ongoing fundraiser and donations can be made by the public at any time. All funds raised through the collection of these donations will benefit the funding of The Sachem.

For more information contact Got Books at www.GotBooks.com or call (978)284-2500.

 abound for this great celebration of the green. Fun, crafts, games and food. Come show your Irish side!

Taste of The Boroughs : Wine, Craft Beer, and Food Tasting is scheduled for Sunday, March 7th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel on Computer Drive in Westborough, MA.

2011 WILDLIFE STAMP COMPETITIONS NOW OPEN

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is asking interested wildlife artists to consider entering one or more of its three 2011wildlife stamp competitions. Each year, MassWildlife issues three wildlife recreation-related stamps: an archery stamp, a primitive firearms stamp, and a waterfowl stamp. Income from the sale of these stamps supports wildlife research as well as the acquisition and management of key habitat areas. All three of the stamps feature artwork selected through competitions open to artists anywhere in the country. There is no cost to submit entries. For rules and regulations and other stamp information, go to www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/licensing/stamps/stamp_info.htm. The deadline for entries to the 2011 archery and primitive firearms stamp competition is May 31, 2010; deadline for the 2011 waterfowl stamp is June 1, 2010.

Wildlife stamps play an important wildlife management role in Massachusetts, generating about $300,000 annually. These funds are used to enhance critical wildlife habitat. All of the stamps are issued both in full-color hard copy and in a black-and-white stamped version for those who opt to purchase their licenses online. The stamps are required of licensed hunters who hunt deer during the archery or primitive firearms season or hunters pursuing migratory birds. Highly collectible for many hunters, these stamps are also sought by other conservationists and stamp collectors. Through these competitions, the MassWildlife obtains the right to produce the designated stamp featuring the winning artwork. The artist retains ownership of the artwork and the right to sell prints, which are of specific interest to members of conservation organizations such as the Massachusetts Bowhunters' Association, Ducks Unlimited, and beyond.

Complete sets of all three stamps are on display at MassWildlife's Field Headquarters in Westborough. Collectors wishing to purchase stamps from past years should call Mary Cavaliere in the MassWildlife Boston office at (617) 626-1577. The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem has a limited quantity of waterfowl stamps and stamp sets available for collectors. The Massachusetts Waterfowl Stamps and Prints, a loose-leaf binder with a detailed history of the waterfowl stamp program from its inception to the present was published by the Peabody Essex Museum and is available for purchase. Contact the Museum at www.pem.org or call (978) 744-3390. Information and regulations governing the three stamp competitions can be found by calling Jill Durand at (508) 389-6301 or at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/licensing/stamps/stamp_info.htm. For more details on the stamp competitions, contact Ellie Horwitz at ellie.horwitz@state.ma.us or call (508) 389-6305.

March 5 -7 – Flower and Patio Show, Worcester -- Come to the Worcester DCU Centre and stroll through wonderful garden displays, relax by a tranquil water garden in the Café, and browse through the information, services and items that will make your "outdoor living room" something to enjoy for years to come! On March 5 at 3pm, MassWildlife biologist Laura Hajduk will give a talk about “Backyard and Patio Wildlife.” The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife will also be staffing a vendor where wildlife fact sheets and advice to homeowners about their wild neighbors will be available. For more information about the Flower and Patio Show, go to www.centralmaflowershow.com or call 1 (800) 533-0229.

March 6 – Massachusetts Birders Meeting, Waltham -- Bird enthusiasts of all levels are invited to enjoy a full day of workshops, speakers, bird updates, exhibits, and more at the La Cava Center at Bentley College. This annual meeting is hosted by MassAudubon and this year is co-sponsored by Manomet Center for Conservation Science. In 2009 the Department of Interior produced “The State of the Birds”, a comprehensive synthesis describing the conservation status, threats, and recovery objectives for every major North American bird group. Since birds have long been litmus for environmental change, what's happening to birds could portend what the future holds for mankind. Among the presentations will be a session on Marsh Birds and Whip-poor-wills in Massachusetts by MassWildlife's NHESP Restoration Assistant Chris Buelow. Registration is required and details can be found at: http://www.massaudubon.org/news/index.php?id=917&type=news.

March 10 – Bears of Massachusetts, Athol -- The Athol Bird and Nature Club’s March meeting features Masswildlife biologist Ralph Taylor, who will discuss the black bears in Massachusetts and human confrontations with them. The meeting, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7PM at the Miller’s River Environmental Center on 100 Main St. How common are black bears in our area? What draws them to our town? Can we learn to live at a respectful distance from these large, furry neighbors? The manager of the Connecticut Valley district of the Mass Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in Belchertown, Taylor will help us understand those questions. Directions and more information about the Athol Bird & Nature Club, go to: http://www.millersriver.net.

Ethel A. (Goff) Otenti, 92, of Franklin, and formerly of Framingham, died Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, at the Maples Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Wrentham. She was the wife of Eugene E. Red Otenti, who died in 1980. Born in Framingham, May 30, 1917, a daughter of the late Howard E. and Lottie (Austin) Goff, she was educated in Southborough, and was a 1935 graduate of Peters High School in Southborough. Mrs. Otenti worked many years ago at the former Watertown Arsenal as a typist, and later at the Fenwal Electronics Company in Framingham, as a tester for more than 20 years. She was a member of the Franklin Federated Church in Franklin, the Chapter 4 Womens Club and the Friendly Circle for the Blind. She was active in the Senior Citizens, and was a volunteer for the Meals on Wheels program in Framingham, and then in Franklin. She was a proud member of the Red Hat Society, and enjoyed knitting and crocheting. She was also proud to be a direct descendent of Abel Goff of Rehoboth, who served in the American Revolution. She is survived by four sons William G. Otenti and daughter-in-law, Geraldine, of Wakefield, Paul E. Otenti and daughter-in-law, Patricia, of Lake Placid, N.Y., Gene Otenti and daughter-in-law, Marianne, of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Bruce M. Otenti and daughter-in-law, Jeanne, of Framingham; a sister, Blanche Kivi of Walpole; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. She was the sister of the late Howard E. Goff Jr., Florence Pessini, Charlotte Haeuber Hynes, and Bertha Stivers. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral, Tuesday, March 2, at 10 a.m., at the Franklin Federated Church, 171 Main St., Franklin. Interment will follow in Rural Cemetery, Southborough. Calling hours are Monday, March 1, from 3 to 7 p.m., at the Charles F. Oteri & Son Franklin Funeral Home, 33 Cottage St., Franklin, (www.oterifuneralhome.com). If desired, donations in her memory sent to the Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Ave., Framingham, MA 01702, would be appreciated.

Normand Maxim Bergeron, 87, of Southborough, formerly of Hopkinton, passed away, at home, on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010. He leaves behind his loving wife of 61 years, Lousie M (Halley) Bergeron. Normand was a resident of Hopkinton for 58 years, and of Southborough for six. He was a World War II U.S. Army veteran and worked at General Motors for 33 years. He spent 25 wonderful years of his retirement wintering in Bontia Springs, Fla. Normand loved traveling, baseball, walking the beach, reading and keeping up with all of his many grandchildren. We will all miss him dearly. In addition to his wife, he leaves seven children, whom he loved, Mary Anderson and her husband, Jeff, of Southborough, Jean Withee and her husband, Brian, of Westborough, Rita Bancroft and her husband, Cliff, of Templeton, Richard Bergeron of Milford, Yvonne Wright and her husband, Phil, of Southborough, Linda Gassett and her husband, Brian, of Hopkinton, Normand Bergeron and Danielle Recine of Hopkinton; a brother, Ernest Bergeron of Maryland; 18 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Calling hours are Monday, March 1, from 4 to 8 p.m., at Morris Funeral Home (Morrisfuneralparlor.com), 40 Main St., Southborough. A funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, March 2, at 10 a.m., at St. Mathew's Church, Highland Street, Southborough. Burial will follow in St. John's Cemetery in Hopkinton. Memorial contributions may be sent in his memory to MetroWest Home Care & Hospice, 85 Lincoln St., Framingham, MA 01702.